Hector Bellerin Says Arsenal 'Family' Need 'To Be There for Each Other'

Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has urged supporters and the club to remain united as the team look to turn things around under manager Unai Emery.

Bellerin spoke ahead of the Gunners' Premier League clash with Southampton on Saturday:

Per Rob Kelly for Arsenal's official website, the Spaniard said that "being divided is never the way forward." He added:

"To get together ... when things don't go well, that is the time for us to tap each other on the back and be like 'Come on, we need to do this better, but we're going to come back on top.'

"That is what we need, not to start pointing fingers and blaming someone for doing this, for doing that ... we're a club, we're a team, we're a family. What we need is to be there for each other."

Arsenal sit sixth in the Premier League after 12 matches, having collected 17 points. That's half as many as leaders Liverpool and eight short of fourth-place Manchester City.

The Gunners' last Premier League win came on Oct. 6. They have won just one of their seven matches in all competitions since, a 3-2 UEFA Europa League victory at home to Vitoria Guimaraes.

After Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Oct. 27, in which Granit Xhaka was booed off by his own supporters—and was later stripped of the captaincy for swearing at them in response—Bellerin tweeted a similar message calling for unity:

With Chelsea travelling to Manchester City on Saturday, a win for Arsenal against Southampton will ensure they gain ground on at least one of their top-four rivals.

The Gunners are also sorely in need of some momentum heading into the busy festive period. The north London outfit play 11 games between Saturday and Jan. 1, including fixtures against City, Chelsea and Manchester United.

According to OptaJoe, Emery has won 87 points in his first 50 Premier League games with the club, compared to Arsene Wenger's 88 in his final 50 games.

Supporters are understandably unhappy with the team's apparent lack of progress under Emery. However, the coach was given the backing of those above him at the start of the international break, so he seemingly won't be going anywhere in the immediate future.