FAR from feeling the stress of the coming months, Mikel Arteta insists his Arsenal squad is going to “live and play with enjoyment”.

And the Spaniard is hoping that the fans “jump on the boat”, too, as the club continues to fight for four trophies.

The Gunners aren’t firing on all cylinders in the Premier League and as a result are coming under increasing pressure. Supporters dreaming of an 11-point lead just three games ago are now staring at a table that shows Arsenal only four-points clear following back-to-back goalless draws against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool; results which were compounded by Sunday’s shuddering 3-2 home defeat against Manchester United.

Far from dwelling on that setback, however, Arteta believes the defeat helped his players reach “a beautiful” moment.

“The reaction has been excellent,” said the Arsenal boss. “We took a moment to bring the temperature down, to pause, to reflect and ask two questions. One is how do we feel, and how do I feel myself – and then how we want to live the next four months.

“It was so encouraging and beautiful, because what came out of that [meeting] is very simple.

“We have earned the right to be in a great position in four competitions, and in the next four months we’re going to live and play with enjoyment, with a lot of courage and with the conviction that we’re going to win.

“This is going to be the mindset and where we’re going to put our energy. I’m just hoping that everybody that is related to this club, especially our supporters, jump on that boat because this is the way that we’re going to live because we deserve to live like this.”

Urging nervy Gooners to join in the ride, Arteta continued: “That’s why I encourage them to jump in this boat because it’s going to be fun – because the excitement, that conviction, that energy, that will, is the way you have to live when you want to achieve a dream; when you want to achieve something that you play for 10 months for, because out of that, a lot of incredible things are going to emerge.

“Some of the things that we cannot even imagine, and, for me, that’s the only way to live it, because we’re going to give absolutely everything.

“We’re going to prepare in the best possible way and the best chance to deliver what we want is putting all the energy and channelling it into that direction.

“I’m very convinced because these players have given us every reason to believe that the outcome is going to be really good.”