Concerned Arteta urges Gunners to turn corner

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta insists they have to consistently produce good performances or they will continue to fall behind in the race for Champions League qualification.

The Gunners’ goalless draw at Bolton on Wednesday was their first point in four league matches and they dropped to seventh in the Barclays Premier League, although still only five points off fourth-placed Chelsea. But Arteta knows they cannot afford another run like the one they have just had if they are to continue their unbroken sequence in Europe’s elite club competition.

“For me it is not good enough. We have the players and the quality to come [to Bolton] and get a better result than what we got,” said the Spaniard.

“It [the race for a top-four place] is going to be tough. We have the talent and quality in the side but we have to show it game by game.

“I am confident because we train together every day and I know how good we are but we have to show it every week not every two or three weeks.

“It is tough because I am sure Chelsea will go on a good run so we have to go on a good run and win games, as we were doing a month ago.

“There are still a lot of games to play and a lot of the season left so I am sure we can get it done.”

Arsenal wasted good chances in the first half against the Trotters, with Robin van Persie having a header cleared off the line, while Theo Walcott wasted a one-on-one with goalkeeper Adam Bogdan before, in the second half, Van Persie was twice denied by the frame of the goal. Arteta said they could not afford to pass up as many opportunities again if they want to keep pace with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle.

“We had enough chances to win the game comfortably in the first half but we missed too many and it makes it very hard away from home when you don’t take them,” said the £10m summer signing from Everton.

For Bolton there were far more positives with the point edging them further away from the bottom three.

Manager Owen Coyle believes, with three new signings made in January and injured players returning, that they can look forward to the next four months with confidence.

“The great thing for me was we went toe-to-toe with a great side and the last 15 minutes we were the team looking to win the game,” said the Scot.

“I think we have had a decent window and to get the quality of the likes of Marvin Sordell, an England Under-21 international, augurs well for the second half of the season.

“The personnel we have available now and the level they are playing at were not available at the start of the season.”

Coyle also stressed club captain Kevin Davies has an important part to play in the rest of the season despite finding his first-team opportunities limited in recent weeks.

He was the subject of interest from Sunderland late in the window but the Wanderers boss never doubted the striker’s intentions.

“He wants to be at Bolton, I want him at Bolton. He is bursting to play and the experienced players have a big part to play with the younger ones and that keeps David Ngog on his toes and allows us to change systems as well.”