The 2-1 defeat suffered at home on Saturday against Bournemouth is a "real blow" for Arsenal, admitted manager Mikel Arteta, who called on his players to show "even more fighting spirit" at the end of the season.

The Gunners have lost three of their last four matches including the defeat against the Cherries, a dip in form that could give Manchester City renewed hope in the Premier League title race.

"It's a real blow. That's what I told the boys. Now, everything depends on how we react," Arteta commented in the post-match conference.

"We'll need to show even more fighting spirit," he added. In the final stretch of the season, "we'll need to be very, very strong and determined to approach it differently than we did today, especially when the match wasn't going our way."

Against Bournemouth, "there were some very basic things that we did extremely badly," said Arteta, without elaborating.

This fourth Premier League defeat of the season -- only their second at home -- fuels the recurring debate in England about Arsenal's ability to withstand pressure in the final sprint.

"We can't control that. What we can control is our performance, what we've done over the last nine months. So, everything that's said when you suffer a defeat at home, you have to accept it. (...) It all depends on how we bounce back," Arteta replied.

"Today it's painful, it's a terrible feeling, but tomorrow is another day. If someone had told me in August that we would be in this position today in April, I'm sure we all would have signed up immediately," he concluded.

Arsenal maintains a nine-point lead over Manchester City, but their closest rivals have played two fewer matches. The two face off next weekend at the Etihad Stadium.

AFP