LONDON: Mikel Arteta took a bizarre act by praising angry Arsenal fans after being taunted twice in the 0-2 defeat at the hands of Chelsea, at the Emirates Stadium, early this morning.

Gunners fans mocked their own team in the first half and after the match which saw Chelsea goals scored by Romelu Lukaku and Reece James.

Arsenal are currently going through their worst start in the league with two consecutive defeats without scoring.

Yet Arteta chose to ignore the taunt by saying: “I must thank the fans even though the situation is getting tough, they are trying to give a boost to the players.

“I see a lot of positive things with the audience and the team today.

“In the end, I didn’t see any bad reaction from any of the players. But that’s just my view.

“Feeling frustrated with yourself doesn’t help. You have to face the challenge, face criticism – because it’s coming,” he said.