With his club mired in its worst ever start to a season in the Premier League era and worst start to a campaign since 1974, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he plans to fight on.

"I don't like to think about those steps [walking away] because then I will be thinking in a negative way and I cannot do that," Arteta said in his pre-match availability ahead of Tuesday's League Cup contest with Manchester City. "At the moment, I have to try to be as positive as I can."

Winless in seven matches, the Gunners sit 15th in the table, four points up on the drop zone, 12 points adrift of the Champions League places and 17 points behind leaders Liverpool. Arsenal slumped to a 2-1 loss to Everton on the weekend.

Arteta, appointed as manager one year ago Sunday, says he intends to focus on the positives going forward.

"We're going through a lot of difficulties, the last thing we want to be thinking of is more problems coming up in the next few months," Arteta said. "I'm not in that state of mind. I know the responsibility that I have and why I am here. Everybody knows that from a few months ago, this wasn't going to be resolved really quickly. I think that's the consciousness of everybody at the club."

The 38-year-old Spaniard has advised his team to tune out the noise in the media and on social media in order to keep focus.

"My suggestion to every player is exactly the same," Arteta said. "All the time it happens with social media as well because you cannot control who is writing or what their intentions are, so it is a very dangerous thing to do."

The Gunners head into Tuesday's quarterfinal without the services of captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon forward is dealing with a calf injury.

City has won the last three straight League Cups, including a 3-0 win over Arsenal in the 2018 final.