MIKEL ARTETA has told his Gunners to carry on rowing if they want title glory.
The Arsenal boss bizarrely made light of Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko’s furious midweek bust-up by joking they have now made up by “sharing wives”.
Arsensal players like Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been urged to keep up their frank exchanges, as long as they stay ‘respectful’
Mikel Arteta joked that the two defenders are now sharing everything
But Arteta says without his players pushing each other, their Premier League dreams will be confined to “Disneyland”.
Arsenal will move two points clear of the leaders of the table if they defeat Liverpool on Sunday.
Five days prior to the Emirates blockbuster, White and Zinchenko had to be separated after their argument over giving up a late goal in the 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest.
Asked if the defenders were friends again, Arteta quipped: “They have been in the same house the past few days — sharing wives and everything!
“It’s fine, they’re living together now. They are best mates.”
More seriously, Arteta added: “You don’t argue with someone if you don’t have a great relationship.
“You need the trust and chemistry with somebody to react the way they did.
“I love it. As long as it’s in a respectful way and with the intention to be more demanding as a team and it stays there.
“A conversation can get heated with emotion after the game. It’s normal.
“I want my players to have desire to be better and be demanding. If not, it’s Disneyland.”
Arteta is again missing Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey — who suffered a setback in his four-month recovery from a thigh op.
The Gunners chief added: “We had a setback a few days ago. We’ll see if it’s a matter of days or weeks.
“He felt something in a similar area and couldn’t train the last few days.”
Arsenal have recovered from a difficult December where they dropped from top spot down to fourth.
Asked if their clash with Jurgen Klopp’s Reds is a must-win, Arteta replied: “We’ve proven we can beat big teams. It will be an incredible atmosphere.”