Hector Bellerin thinks the criticism of Mikel Arteta is unjust, and the Arsenal manager is giving them all the tools to succeed.

Despite winning an FA Cup and a Community Shield in his first 12 months of football management, Mikel Arteta is coming under a bit of pressure at Arsenal right now.

In the Premier League, the Gunners have lost more games than they’ve won this campaign, sitting 14th.

That doesn’t quite tell the whole story this season. Arteta’s side have breezed through the Europa League group stage and reached the League Cup quarter-final. Still, their league form is terrible, and they’re really struggling to score goals domestically.

All the same, Hector Bellerin thinks the criticism of the Arsenal boss is unfair, and any blame should be levelled at the players instead.

“So unjust. So unjust. As I say, we have to, as players, take responsibility for this because I think we all know that Mikel and his coaching team give us all the tools that we need to win all the games,” Bellerin said.

“When you lose a game it’s always very easy to blame the coach. But also when the coach gives us the tools we have to be the ones to step up.

“The way that Mikel plans these games… all the knowledge that they give us before we step on to the pitch is second to none. Sometimes it’s not that easy, depending on the opponent, but that’s why football is beautiful.”

Sunday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur represents a great opportunity to get the fans back on side. A win against Arsenal’s local rivals would put smiles back on faces ahead of the busy December schedule.

In a similar vein, a defeat would really compound the pressure, regardless of whether Bellerin thinks it’s just or not.