Arteta Dismisses 'Engasganço' Tag Ahead of Tottenham Derby as Viktor Gyökeres Name Surfaces
Mikel Arteta has rejected the label of "engasganço" for his side as Arsenal prepare to visit Tottenham on 22/02 in a North London derby that could sharpen the title race; broader chatter has included names such as viktor gyökeres even as attention remains fixed on immediate results. The manager's comments come after a late collapse that left Arsenal with dropped points and increased scrutiny.
Development details — Viktor Gyökeres
Arsenal enter the 27th round of the season with 58 points, leading the table but under renewed pressure after a 2-2 draw with the bottom-placed Wolves in which the equaliser came in the fourth minute of stoppage time. That result followed other dropped points in recent weeks: the Gunners have failed to hold a lead in three of their last five league matches and also drew with Brentford and lost to Manchester United during the same span. Tottenham sit 16th with 29 points; the derby is scheduled for 22/02 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Arteta framed the narrative as an individual opinion he would not adopt, saying the term is not part of his vocabulary and stressing that no one at the club would want poor results to be deliberate. Midfielder Declan Rice echoed a focus on perspective, reminding that Arsenal are first in the league and competing across multiple competitions, while calling on the squad to correct mistakes and capitalise on their quality.
Context and escalation
The immediate pressure on Arsenal is a direct consequence of recent late and unexpected results. The late equaliser by Wolves and other dropped points have narrowed the margin for error at the top: Manchester City remain close enough that the title picture can shift quickly if Arsenal do not respond. That pressure has intensified public commentary about the club's ability to close out tight games, a narrative Arteta sought to push back against in his public remarks.
What makes this notable is the timing: Arsenal travel to a hostile setting with the title race still very much alive, and their run away from home has been strong up to now. The visiting record includes only one defeat in the last 19 away league matches and a run of ten consecutive matches without defeat on the road, a contrast to Tottenham's recent domestic form of just two wins in 11 games overall and two straight losses.
Immediate impact
The derby touches multiple layers of consequence. For Arsenal, dropped points have translated into sharpening external criticism and a recognition within the squad that there is less margin for error — a point emphasised by Declan Rice when he urged teammates to enjoy their position while correcting lapses. For Tottenham, the fixture carries relegation-zone implications: with 29 points they remain close to the bottom group and need positive results to climb clear.
The match also brings an added subplot for Brazil's forward selection: Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus face one another in a direct duel that will be watched by national-team observers. Richarlison has seven goals and three assists in 21 Premier League appearances this season, with 13 starts, while Gabriel Jesus has been notable since returning from a serious knee injury, registering five goals and two assists across 18 appearances and producing a ratio of one direct goal contribution every 96 minutes in the period highlighted by his recent form.
Forward outlook
The next confirmed milestones are clear: Arsenal must play Tottenham on 22/02 in the 27th-round derby and will aim to halt the recent slip in results, while Manchester City remain poised to close any gap depending on their own upcoming fixtures. Arsenal's cup commitments — including a League Cup final and progression in the FA Cup and Champions League noted by squad members — mean the club will juggle multiple objectives in the coming weeks, increasing the importance of securing points in the league now.
The immediate signal from the club is managerial steadiness rather than panic: Arteta has publicly refused to adopt a narrative of mental frailty, and senior players have emphasised correcting mistakes. Meanwhile, references in public conversation have included names like viktor gyökeres, but the confirmed actions to watch are Arsenal's selection and performance on 22/02, and whether the team can translate quality into the consistent results Arteta demands.
