PERFECT TENSE
Saliba relishing Gunners’ challenge of a flawless finish during run-in to glory
WILLIAM SALIBA wants Arsenal to “embrace the pressure” of the title race.
And with 10 games to go, the Gunners are 10 steps from glory and their first Premier League crown in 22 years.
The first comes against Chelsea at the Emirates on Sunday – and that should be a good omen for Arsenal, who have been relentless when it comes to London derbies.
Last Sunday’s 4-1 thrashing of Tottenham took the Gunners’ record to 18 wins, six draws and just one defeat from their past 25 games against other sides from the capital.
Their record against Chelsea is even more impressive, as Arsenal last lost to the Blues in August 2021 and they have played 10 times since then.
And they finish the season with three of their last five games at home and three of their last four are London derbies against Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace.
Their only away game against a team in the top half of the the table is their trip to Manchester City which will clearly have a huge say – but ultimately might not be decisive.
That is why Arsenal feel as if they will never have a better chance after reasserting some authority in the title race with that emphatic win at Tottenham.
Arsenal defender Saliba said: “It’s good, but we know that it’s not finished. We have 10 more games.
“We know that it’s in our hands – if we do well, if we win all the next 10 games we would win this league, but we know that it’s not easy.
“There is always a pressure because it’s the best league in the world but we’ll give everything and we will embrace the pressure.” That view was echoed by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta in the wake of the Spurs win, but his remarks also highlighted just how much a title would mean after near misses in recent seasons. “When you are disappointed about what you’ve done in your job, you don’t feel that way,” said Arteta. “It’s much bigger than that. That’s our passion, it’s the purpose that we have, the objective that we have, it’s what we love doing, and then it’s very painful. But as well it can be very rewarding. And football shows you that, keep going, whatever you do, you win, keep going.
“If you lose, drop, keep going, because it is worth it, especially with the people that we have in this club.”
Sky pundit Gary Neville believes Arsenal will go to City and win to prove they are champions, such is his admiration for Arteta’s set-up.
Opta’s Super Computer still has Arsenal as 83.5 percent likely to win the title compared to City with 15.7 percent, despite the Gunners’ recent wobbles and City’s vast experience.
The biggest worry for Arsenal fans will be the accusations of them “bottling it.” In fairness, that feels like
It’s in our hands. There’s always pressure but we’ll give everything and we will embrace it
a false narrative when applied to the story of the past three seasons when they have finished as runners-up.
They never really seriously challenged Liverpool last season. The year before, 2023/24, they won eight of their last nine games and the slip – a home defeat by Aston Villa – cost them. In 2022/23, no one predicted they would be challengers.
Therefore, it is hard to argue they have bottled it. Make no mistake, if they do not do it this year then they will have bottled it. The furthest they have been ahead after any complete match round is seven points. But they have missed big opportunities to extend that advantage.
Now, comes the real test and there seems to be more belief from the outside than some of the nerves among the Arsenal fan base.
Former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet, in an interview with betting site Betwright, said: “Arsenal will be feeling stronger going into the final third of this season, given the experiences they’ve had in previous years. There will be more tough moments, but I still think they’ll win it this season.
“Mentally, it’s easier to chase. Manchester City will feel like they have nothing to lose and could really get some momentum going. It’s a lot harder to do that when you’re in front.
“Having said that, from a neutral perspective, it looks like it’s finally coming together for Arsenal. When a team is continuously challenging for the Premier League consistently over multiple seasons, it’s inevitable that they’re going to eventually win it.”