Title tilt still on Arsenal agenda despite setbacks - Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal are still gunning for the Premier League title as he praised his squad for refusing to settle for Champions League qualification.
Having topped the table for much of the season, Arsenal slipped from the summit following Manchester City's 2-1 win at Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
City have now won eight successive league games, including a 4-1 humbling of the Gunners last week which put a fifth title in six years in their own hands.
Conversely, Arsenal have taken just three points from their last four fixtures but their form over the course of the campaign has at least guaranteed a return to Champions League football after six seasons away from Europe's top table.
While City are now favourites, Arteta will be aiming for a return to form when struggling Chelsea visit the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night as he refused to rule Arsenal out of the hunt.
"We have achieved what it was difficult to achieve and we can still achieve the Premier league because there are five games to go and a lot of things are going to happen still," he said.
"Now the title race is not in our hands anymore. What is in our hands is to try to win the games we have left and the rest is down to City.
"What we have to do is forget about what happened last week, learn from it and move on to the next game with a full tilt at home, with our people, London derby, and put things right.
"I know what we were trying to do, what the objective was what we've been doing and we still have the nicest part of the season to play with five games to go. But when I still look at it, this is not over.
"I am incredibly proud and thankful to everyone who has contributed to bringing Champions League football back to this club with five or six games to go, it