Mikel Arteta has paid tribute to the support he has received from the Arsenal hierarchy amid the pressure of the sack. The Gunners are currently 15th in the Premier League table and the club’s alarming dip in form has posed questions over Arteta’s long-term future at the club.

Yet Edu and the Kroenkes have made it clear that the Spaniard has their full support moving forward, despite their turbulent form.

Arteta got a response from his players following the 1-0 defeat against Burnley, as his side came from behind to draw 1-1 with Southampton in midweek.

The Gunners finished the game with ten men for a second successive match after Gabriel Magalhaes was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

While Arteta shoulders the blame for the current slump, he has laid on record his thanks to the board for believing in his project and remains confident he can deliver more silverware in north London.

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“But, it is like anything, in this industry you need the results. But after a big shake-up, we need to find stability and in order to do that we need time.

“We all knew, at least the people that made the decision with me to start this new project, that this wasn’t a quick fix and it was going to take time. And when you are shaking things up, things can take a while.”

Arteta takes Arsenal to his former club Everton this weekend and the Gunners boss came close to taking the Toffees job last December after talks with Goodison Park chiefs.

Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno has followed in the footsteps of Hector Bellerin by declaring the players are solely to blame for the club’s dismal form.

“The coach is least to blame for the fact that we are in this situation,” he told Sky Germany.

“If you look at the way we were running around on the pitch at times, then the players are the only ones to blame.

“The attitude is bad, the discipline is lacking and we have no self-confidence. There are many factors at play here.

“We have addressed this very clearly internally and everyone agrees that we have to change this very quickly.”