Mikel Arteta says Arsenal fans need to be left to express themselves amid the fall-out from the European Super League fiasco.
The Gunners are due to host Everton at Emirates Stadium on Friday night in what will be their first game since the club joined and then withdrew from the Super League in the space of 48 dramatic hours.
Furious supporters are planning to protest against owner Stan Kroenke outside the stadium prior to kick-off, in scenes that could be similar to those witnessed outside Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night when Chelsea fans protested against their club’s inclusion in the Super League.
What has been said?
Speaking about the planned protests, Arteta said: “The fans have to express, that is their right and they have to do it freely.
“For me, what it shows is the power and the capacity when they show that determination and passion to achieve what they want.
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“If we can use this with our fans to support the team, I think that will be incredibly powerful and it will make us much, much stronger.
“So it's time to leave them to express themselves and now, somehow, we have to engage them again, get them closer to us and believing in what we do. If we do that, we'll be in a much better place.”
Could the protests have an impact on the game?
Arteta accepts that what goes out outside the stadium on Friday night could have the potential to disrupt events on the pitch.
With that in mind, he says his job is to ensure that his players can concentrate solely on events they can control.
“We know that we might have a situation outside the stadium because our fans want to express their feelings,” Arteta said.
“Our job is to try to make the team as focused as possible to perform on the pitch.
“People and fans are free to express their feelings, and if they decide to do it that way, we have to respect that and we have to listen to them."