Mikel Arteta shuts down Antonio Conte mind games with focus on Arsenal's top-four hopes ahead of Crystal Palace clash

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta emphasised Arsenal's objectives are «very clear», and «people's perceptions» are not going to deter the Gunners ahead of their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Monday evening. The Spaniard was responding to claims from Antonio Conte that Arsenal are the favourites for the top four. Conte's Spurs side dismantled Newcastle 5-1 on Sunday to leapfrog their north London rivals into fourth place, putting pressure back on the Gunners to respond at Selhurst Park tonight.

Ad/> Ahead of the match, the Gunners boss refused to entertain the thought of mind games, preferring instead to focus on the work being done with his own squad ahead of a crucial run-in to the end of the season. Premier League‘World class' Kane is 'not normal’ — Conte3 HOURS AGO «What we want to do is very clear and the perception of what people think is not going to change it. I do it (mind games) more with my players, I think.

I do it more with the players, if I have to.» Arteta is focused on the task in hand, and is embracing having his squad back together after the international break, ahead of the all-important remaining fixtures that will make or break their hopes of Champions League football next season, starting with the tough trip to Palace. «I will just try to refocus them. When they're on international duty all the time they're being asked to do different things, different roles, different kinds of pressures.