Mikel Arteta: Man City loss my lowest moment in football

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the 5-0 Premier League defeat at the Etihad Stadium last month. Picture: Nick Potts/PA

Arsenal supporters who believe Mikel Arteta does not share their pain would do well to read on.

A narrow victory over relegation favourites does not mean Arteta's troubles are over, but nor did being bottom of the table after only three matches signify a relegation battle ahead.

An unthinkable defeat could have been terminal, however. And the young Spanish manager reflected how he had never felt lower than after their 5-0 defeat at former club Manchester City last time out condemned them to a third consecutive loss without scoring.

The season had hardly started, but Arteta was, and still might be, fighting for his footballing life.

He insisted he found the intervening international break one of the most fulfilling periods of his career and tried to explain what he went through to get back on track.

“What I did probably was against myself because you are upset with yourself, you are angry, you are tired,” Arteta said.

“You just want to hit yourself because you are not doing things right and you are not getting the outcome you think you deserve. You have to understand why you do it.

“After the loss against City probably I was at the lowest. And then you start to try analyse things, you hear different opinions - media, what you think, criticism - and then probably you go even further down.”

Spending time with family and friends provided a quick sobering cure for the blues before looking to his Arsenal colleagues.

He added: “They don’t find any excuses. Don’t blame anyone. Just try to look for solutions.

“Normally the easiest thing to do is blame the players. 'They are not good enough, I have this. I have that' and then you try to over coach them.

“I was not willing to do that because first of all they don’t deserve that. The people around this club don’t deserve it. That’s why… everything came from them. And then you get the players with even more energy, then it is overwhelming. And that is why I didn't have to do a lot.”

Seven things he did do, however, were changes to the starting line-up that collapsed at City. Five starters were summer signings: goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale replaced Germany international Bernd Leno, Japanese right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu, €58m centre-back Ben White all started, along with midfielders Martin Odegaard and Sambi Lokonga.

Only time will tell if this proves to be Arteta's Arsenal, but it was an encouraging start.

And there is still much to be worked on as one Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strike from 30 shots on goal is not a great return.

Arsenal dominated, as they so often can, but looked increasingly edgy as they went further into the second half without scoring.

Title contenders? Nowhere near. For now, they have to be happy with being off the bottom with only four matches played.