Arteta urges Arsenal to fight for victory against Brighton

Mikel Arteta has said Arsenal must "earn the right to win" when they meet Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday. They are aiming for their eighth straight win across all competitions.

Arsenal has started their season well, winning their first seven matches. But Arteta downplayed the importance of this streak before their last game before the international break.

"We’ve got a really tough opponent tomorrow, so we’re going to have to really earn the right to win the game. But that will be the mindset of the players and the team," Arteta said during a press conference on Friday.

The Arsenal manager noted that his team has done well despite the busy schedule, especially in away games. He wants the players to keep the same attitude as they do at home.

"That’s one of the challenges of the schedule, and the team has responded so well," he said.

"Playing with dominance doesn’t really matter if we play at home or away. We want to be the same team and cause the same problems for the opposition."

"We have managed to win three games, and we’ve got the last one against a really tough opponent, as I said, Brighton tomorrow. We’ll try to do the same."

Arteta was also asked about Arsenal’s chances of matching a club record from 123 years ago by winning eight matches in a row.

The Spaniard did not want to think past Brighton.

"We just have enough on the plate today to prepare for the game against a really good Brighton tomorrow. We know how tough that’s going to be to earn the right to win it, that’s it," he said.

Arsenal’s strong start follows a time of uncertainty after the 2026 World Cup. Arteta admitted there were questions about how his players would respond.

"We know how complicated it is to win a football match at this level. So to win seven, it tells the story," he said.

"After the World Cup, especially, there were a lot of unknowns about how the players and the team were going to react. We didn’t have any time with them to work together, but as I said, they won."

Arteta added that both performance and luck have contributed to Arsenal’s success.

"I’ve seen their attitude, and I was really impressed with what I saw. Then you have to put it down to performances and a bit of luck as well to win football matches. We are here, and we want to make another win for sure tomorrow," he concluded.