Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal's wretched form remains a "blip" and not a descent into a Premier League relegation battle. Arteta shouldered the full blame for Arsenal's seven defeats in their opening 12 Premier League matches - calling on critics to fire all their shots at him as the manager ahead of their match against Southampton on Wednesday night. Asked if he still retains the backing of his players, Arteta replied: "My feeling is yes but this is a question for them obviously. "When I see the reaction and the way they try, there's not one bit that worries me that they're not trying their best, that's for sure." Arteta, who oversaw training with David Luiz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe and the other Gunners stars ahead of the Saints match, is confident that results will turn soon. "I want to think that we are in a blip, losing football matches makes me believe that but we need to start to win," he added. "Because just dropping and dropping down the table is not the situation we want to be in. "But this is our reality right now and we have to face it and we have to face it being brave, fighting and no one giving up or anything. "It's not time to hide, it's time to put your face and your body on the line and at the moment, I'm sorry, but we have to take the bullets. "We are not winning football matches and I have to put my chest there and you have to hit me, because you have the right to hit me because I'm not winning. "So what else can I do? Put my head down, work harder and try to do things better and improve. That's how we have to approach things in my opinion. It's natural, I accept the criticism and it's part of the job. "When you're not getting results at the end of the day it's the manager who has the maximum responsibility. So that's what I accept. "You can explain whatever you want but at the end of the day you have to win football matches and this club is too big to accept this many losses in the last weeks. So my chest is here and hit me, guys." Granit Xhaka's red card and Aubameyang's own goal condemned Arsenal to a 1-0 <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/granit-xhaka-3-willian-5-alexandre-lacazette-5-james-tarkowski-8-arsenal-v-burnley-ratings-1.1128286">home defeat to battling Burnley</a> on Sunday. The Gunners host high-flying Southampton with Arteta throwing his support behind the embattled midfielder Xhaka. Asked if Xhaka had apologised to Arteta and his team-mates, the Arsenal boss said: "Well whatever happens internally I'm sorry but I cannot discuss. "It's been resolved internally and this is all I can say. He has had tough times here and he's not the only one, there's a lot of players that have had rocky moments. "But what I can say about Granit is that his professionalism and his commitment with the club and with his team-mates is maximal."
