Mikel Arteta is confident that Arsenal’s crop of young stars can cope with the mounting pressure as they seek to seal a place in next season’s Champions League.

Arteta’s side are fourth in the Premier League with five games left as they fight to return to Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 2016/17.

The Gunners, two points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham, have climbed into the top four thanks to a set of gifted players developed by Arteta including Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah and Nuno Tavares.

Now they must prove they can perform when the pressure mounts, starting on Sunday at London rivals West Ham.

“For most of them it is (their first experience) but it’s been like this for the last two or three months where everyone is talking about it,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.

 

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