Mikel Arteta has conceded it will "take some time" to turn around Arsenal's form following the club's worst ever start to a campaign.
The Gunners lost 2-0 to Brentford and Chelsea respectively in their first two matches and are in the relegation zone after more than one game played for the first time since August 1992.
It is also the first time in Arsenal's 118-year history in England's top four tiers they have opened a campaign with two defeats without scoring.
Arsenal have finished eighth in back-to-back seasons and were booed off the field by their supporters at the interval and full-time in Sunday's defeat to Chelsea at Emirates Stadium.
Under-pressure boss Arteta, who has had to contend with the loss of numerous key players through injury and illness, stressed the importance of fans getting behind their side.
"I have to say thank you because the atmosphere that we saw before the Chelsea game when the team was getting the introduction of every member, it was so special," Arteta said.
"I had goosebumps and I was feeling like nothing before. Then I think they tried to support the team very much and I know they are disappointed when you lose at home.
"There has to be some reaction, but this is a project that is going to take some time.
"You can see and tell from the recruitment that we've done and the really young squad that we have at the moment and it cannot happen overnight.
"We all want to make it as quick as possible and we know that the responsibility for us is to fight with the top teams in every competition and that's not going to change.
"I think we really need them and this group of players really needs them and the club needs them now next to us because we need that confidence, that support and that energy."
Arsenal have another chance to pick up their first win of 2021-22 on Wednesday when they travel to Championship side West Brom in the second round of the EFL Cup.
The Gunners are competing at this stage of the competition for the first time since 1995-96 after failing to qualify for European football this season.
With a big game against champions Manchester City to come next weekend, Arteta knows the importance of picking up a morale-boosting victory in midweek.
"It's a competition obviously that we want to fight for. We need a win as well," said Arteta, who has suffered 20 defeats in his first 60 matches as a Premier League manager.
"We want to try to get players back if possible to help us because then we have Manchester City at the weekend, and to try to lift the players.
"Obviously they are hurt, the feeling is tough at the moment, they need some help as well with players coming back, and keep them together, because the spirit there is good.
"They don't need motivating. Honestly, they are really together, one thing they don't need is motivating. That is really clear, they are really trying what they can do. Give them confidence – that is what they need."
Arteta hopes to have new signing Martin Odegaard available against West Brom, while Alexandre Lacazette is back in training after recently contracting coronavirus.
Aaron Ramsdale is another in contention to make his debut at The Hawthorns after arriving from Sheffield United last week, but Arteta is unsure of his team selection.
"We just got the VISA from Martin yesterday," the Spaniard said. "Aaron has been a while without training, but they both want to play. We will see."
Lydia Bedford takes Brentford Under-18s reins in landmark appointment for women
Lydia Bedford has been announced as Brentford Under-18s head coach in a landmark appointment.
Bedford has left her position as assistant boss with Arsenal’s women team to become the first female coach to take the reins at a men’s professional side in England.
The former Leicester manager is set to work alongside Jon-Paul Pittman, who will join as assistant coach from Forest Green.
Brentford director of football Phil Giles said: “I’m really pleased that we’ve managed to attract such talented coaches as Lydia and Jon-Paul to our under-18 team for next year.
“We undertook an extensive recruitment process for these roles. Lydia and Jon-Paul were the two best candidates, and thankfully we were able to finalise their recruitment to the staff.
“I’m sure they will excel, and we all look forward to working with them through pre-season and beyond.”
Kyogo Furuhashi ‘bullish’ about making Scottish Cup final – Ange Postecoglou
Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi is “bullish” about his chances of making the Scottish Cup final despite not training so far this week.
The Japan international went off with a leg knock during last Saturday’s 5-0 win over Aberdeen after coming off worse in a 50-50 with Dons goalkeeper Kelle Roos.
The 28-year-old has scored 33 goals this season and won a clean sweep of Scotland’s player of the year awards, and he has an impressive record in cup finals, with match-winning doubles in the League Cup in each of his two seasons with Celtic.
Boss Ange Postecoglou said: “Kyogo is progressing. He hasn’t trained yet. The plan is to get him out there tomorrow (Friday) and see how he goes. He is doing some individual stuff this afternoon.
“He always is, but he is still pretty bullish about playing so we will just see how he goes.
“We will be guided by him a little bit. We have done that in the past. He has had a couple of times, whether it’s with his shoulder or in last year’s League Cup final he went in with a hamstring that wasn’t totally healed and scored a couple of goals.
“So I will be guided by him. He is very strong mentally so if he gives us the green light we will put him in there.”
The only definite absentee is Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy, who has been nursing a back problem in recent weeks.
Postecoglou said: “(Alistair) Johnston is fine, he has trained all week and (Sead) Haksabanovic is back in so he is available as well. The only real absence is Aaron Mooy.”
UEFA awaits reports following Jose Mourinho’s rant at referee Anthony Taylor
UEFA is awaiting the match official’s reports before deciding whether to take action against Jose Mourinho for his rant at referee Anthony Taylor after Roma’s Europa League final defeat, the PA news agency understands.
Roma boss Mourinho was critical of Taylor in his post-match press conference after his side’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Sevilla in Budapest on Wednesday night.
And in video footage which later emerged on social media, the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager is seen gesticulating at Taylor and officials in the stadium car park and heard saying “disgrace”.
Taylor booked Mourinho during the game, which finished 1-1 after extra time before Sevilla sealed their seventh Europa League triumph by winning 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out.
Tempers simmered on and off the pitch in a disappointing final, with 13 players shown yellow cards, seven of them to Roma players, while fourth official Michael Oliver had his work cut out to keep control of both dug-outs.
The game was littered with delays, with a total of 25 minutes’ stoppage time added to the 120 minutes of playing time.
Mourinho lost for the first time in his sixth major European final, while Sevilla extended their record number of tournament wins following previous successes in 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
