Arsenal's Mikel Arteta loves seeing their title rivals in their rear-view mirror
Arsenal's Mikel Arteta loves seeing their title rivals in their rear-view mirror
"The difference is we are top, while normally by now we are
10 to 12 points behind whoever is first. We are in a good position to do
it"
We're number one! Will Arteta and Arsenal hang on and end 10-year title wait?
Clive Rose
Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal will never have a better chance of winning the Premier League. The Gunners are four points clear at the top of the table and Arteta says they are in great shape to be crowned champions next May.
Midfielder
Arteta admits Arsenal are normally too far behind in the title race by
Christmas, but claims the team spirit and squad quality can help them
become champions for the first time in 10 years.
“The difference
is that we are top of the league, while normally by now we are 10 to 12
points behind whoever is first,” said Arteta. “That is the big
difference. Obviously the confidence and atmosphere is different and we
want to maintain that.
“As long as you have that quality, the
ambition and the togetherness that we have, I think we are in a good
position to do it. That is where we are and I think the Christmas period
now is going to be massively important.”
Arsenal are facing the
biggest week of their season so far - they are at home on Sunday to an
Everton side flying high after beating champions Manchester United, go
to Napoli on the Wednesday needing a point to qualify and then have a
Saturday lunchtime kick-off at title rivals Manchester City.
It is
a gruelling schedule, but Arteta says that players coming back to
fitness - such as forward Lukas Podolski - and Nicklas Bendtner making a
surprise return to goal-scoring form against Hull in midweek will give them a huge lift.
“Being
able to rotate is very important,” said the Spaniard. “We have
struggled in the last few years a little bit to be able to do that
because of the numbers and injuries, and now we have almost everyone
fit.
“I think it’s great. Everybody has to be on their toes, and
everybody feels important and you are going to need everyone if you are
going to achieve something, I think it’s a great thing.
“That’s what we want. The players in the squad can contribute and help the team to be successful.
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Arsenal v Hull
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“Every member of the squad is important and Nicklas is no
different. He is an Arsenal player and while he is here, he is 100 per
cent here and I don’t think he will be thinking of doing anything
different because I think he likes playing here.
“He deserves it,
because he has been working really hard to be honest. He joined us in
pre-season and he was rewarded against Hull. He got the chance and got a
very good goal.”
Bendtner, who was brought back in from the cold
to score his first Premier League goal for Arsenal in three years,
admitted it was good to feel part of things again.
He said: “It
has been difficult for the players who have not been in the team because
we have had such good form - the players who have played have been
magnificent.
“With the way people play now, it looks like whoever
comes in takes it in his stride and goes with it. That showed again
because there were a couple of changes and everybody played well.
“We
are very much looking forward to it, because we know this is a very
hard period coming up and we need everybody to be focused and sharp, but
we will take just one game at a time and try to put the points on the
table.”
Arteta expects another huge test of Arsenal’s title credentials when they face Everton, his former club, at the weekend.
He added: “They are having a great season. They have got some great results against the top teams as well which is not easy.
The
result (against United) is going to massively important for them, going
to boost the confidence, so we are going to face a very difficult team,
for sure.
“I don’t know what they are going to do, I don’t know
the plan, but I do know [manager] Roberto Martinez well, and I think he
is the type of manager that wants to take risks and make his players
play good football - so hopefully we can watch a nice game.”
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