Online abuse 'difficult to control,' claims Arteta after Potter death threats

Potter was hired in September following Thomas Tuchel's dismissal but Chelsea have endured a barren run of form and sit tenth in the Premier League.

Indeed, Chelsea have won just three of their last 17 games in all competitions, losing their last three on the run.

Potter revealed that he and his family have been the target of online abuse and death threats but Arsenal manager Arteta is unsure what can be done to tackle the issue.

"It’s very difficult to control, I think," Arteta said at a press conference.

"We have had this discussion many, many times. Where do you draw the line, what is acceptable, and what is not?

"Unfortunately, it happens, it's very easy to hide behind a phone."

Arteta also endured a slow start to his tenure when he was first appointed by Arsenal but refused to comment on whether he had received similar levels of abuse as Potter has done.

Despite this, he did reveal that he often reaches out to fellow managers to provide support during challenging times.

He added: "When you have a close relationship with managers, which I had in Spain, some of them were in Italy, some of them were here of course, you get in touch – sometimes they give you support.

"We all do when someone is going through a difficult time. Maybe not on the phone but just a nice text of support."