Declan Rice's rallying call to Arsenal teammates after Premier League title race blow

Erling Haaland scored the winner for Pep Guardiola's side on Sunday -Credit:Carl Recine/Getty Images

Mikel Arteta mirrored that defiant stance in his post-game press conference, describing the upcoming run of games as a 'new league.' The Gunners manager said: "I believe today, I believe on Wednesday a week ago, because I see them every day and I know the level that we have.

"But today if they need to be more convinced, I think they are now more convinced. They were talking about it in the dressing room. It's a new league now. They were a game in hand.

"We have three points of advantage and five games to play. So everything is still to play for. So we know how much we've won it and we're not going to stop and we're going to go again, that's for sure."

Arsenal have almost a week to rest and recuperate before they return to action. The Gunners are due to face Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, April 25.

Arteta continued: "First of all, to win a game in this league is extremely tough. I mean look at the fixtures that we both have. It's going to be tough for both of them.

"If not we would have already 80 points or 85 points like happened in other seasons, it is not the case. So we will prepare game by game and learn from what happened today and do better."

On the mood in the locker room, Arteta said: "Obviously, they were very disappointed not to get a result from the game in the manner that it happened.

"That's the feeling, immediately you could tell that they were talking about, and they said okay, we lost an opportunity today, but we have the biggest one now in the next five games, so let's do it."