Mikel Arteta has confirmed Arsenal will continue to play out from the back, despite Granit Xhaka’s shocking error at Burnley.
The Gunners were in control and leading at Turf Moor, before Xhaka gifted the hosts a route back into the game.
Picking up a short pass from ‘keeper Bernd Leno, the Swiss international managed to fire his clearance directly at Clarets striker Chris Wood, with the ball deflecting into an empty net.
Arsenal failed to find a winner in the second half, as their hopes of securing a top-six finish took another major blow.
But Arteta has said he will encourage his players to keep playing in that style, but only when the ‘structure’ allows them to do so.
But Arteta has said he will encourage his players to keep playing in that style, but only when the ‘structure’ allows them to do so.
“I will always do that as long as we, all the time, follow our principles and the rules that we have,” the Arsenal boss explained.
“It's the way we play, when we decide when to play, when not to play, the type of football we have to play with the right distances, the right feet. If not, we don't play.
“Without the right structure, you don't play. It's too risky.
“It's what you gain from the risks that are there, and the rewards have to much bigger than the risks. When it's not, you don't have to play.
“If it's a no-play zone, you don't have to play.”
The Spaniard also suggested that Arsenal’s error strewn performances are actually a “positive” as it’s something they can actually control.
He added: “It’s very difficult because a lot of unexpected situations in a football match, but then emotionally we have to be much more calm and much more secure.
“We have to manage the games much better in certain situations and that comes with maturity and that comes from learning, so the next time you do that hopefully you learn and it doesn’t happen again to the same player, but then something happens to a different one.
“The positive thing is that I think it’s in our control and it’s not something that the opponents are doing and we can’t control it.
“So I think it’s easier to fix but we have to fix it very quickly because if not the margins are so small and you’re close to losing points all the time.”
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