Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he will be the “biggest” Bournemouth fan ever on Tuesday night, with his side now on the brink of winning the Premier League title.
Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Burnley on Monday Night means the Gunners will be crowned champions if Manchester City do not win at Bournemouth.
In City’s way is Bournemouth head coach and Arteta’s childhood friend Andoni Iraola – who grew up with and played in the same youth team as the Arsenal manager in the Basque Country.
After City boss Pep Guardiola supported West Ham against Arsenal last week, Arteta has shown his support for Bournemouth, who are currently on a 16-game unbeaten run, the longest of its kind in Europe’s top five leagues.
“The biggest ever!” said Arteta if he’s going to be a Bournemouth fan on Tuesday.
“For Andoni, and all the players and all the supporters of Bournemouth, I think we are all [Bournemouth fans] because we know what it means if they get a result.”
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Asked if he will send Iraola any message or advice, Arteta said: “I don’t think it’s needed.
“What he’s done in that football club, the transformation, what they are playing for, I don’t think they need anything else.
“When you look at how Burnley played today (Monday), the spirit that they show, how difficult they made it, imagine Bournemouth.”
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Arteta has admitted he will not watch the game with the Arsenal players on Tuesday, but he will have it on at home while spending the evening with his family.
He said: “I don’t know how long I am going to watch it.
“I will be there in front of the TV but I don’t know how much I am going to be able to watch it, that is the reality.”
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