David Luiz thinks Arsenal can win the Premier League this season, crediting Mikel Arteta with changing the mentality at the club.

Arsenal's Spanish head coach Mikel Arteta (R) celebrates with Arsenal's Brazilian defender David Luiz during the English FA Cup final football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, on August 1, 2020. - Arsenal won the match 2-1. (Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)
Arsenal’s Spanish head coach Mikel Arteta (R) celebrates with Arsenal’s Brazilian defender David Luiz during the English FA Cup final football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, on August 1, 2020. (Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)

David Luiz joined Arsenal in 2019, under Unai Emery, but he only played a few months under the now Aston Villa coach before he was sacked and replaced by Mikel Arteta.

Luiz says those few months were very informative, as he saw a clear difference in Arsenal’s mentality towards winning trophies and believing in themselves before and after Arteta’s arrival.

“After one year I started to understand, [Arsenal were] a club that was not used to winning for a long time, so they started to not believe a lot,” Luiz said.

“And then came Arteta, and Arteta changed a lot of things in the club and he started to make everybody believe the process.

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“The club got the right mentality again as they had under Arsene Wenger, they got it in a good way.

“And now I’m happy because I see many young players that I was trying to help in the beginning, to believe that at the start of your career, you have to win big things.”

arsenal fc v watford fc premier league 6
LONDON, ENGLAND: David Luiz of Arsenal warms up prior to the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Watford FC at Emirates Stadium on July 26, 2020. (Photo by Rui Vieira/Pool via Getty Images)

Arsenal won the FA Cup before Luiz’s departure, and the Gunners ended up competing for the Premier League title last season, falling short at the end to allow Manchester City back in.

But they’re back in the race again this year, and David Luiz isn’t writing them off.

“I think they can do it (win the Premier League this season),” Luiz said.

“This season, they’re going to be more close than last season [finishing second by five points] – especially after the experience of last season.”

LONDON, ENGLAND: David Luiz of Arsenal is embraced by Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal as he is substituted off following an injury during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Leicester City at Emirates Stadium on October 25, 2020. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: David Luiz of Arsenal is embraced by Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal as he is substituted off following an injury during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Leicester City at Emirates Stadium on October 25, 2020. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Manchester City have suffered a bit of a blip lately, and they sit five points back on Arsenal in fourth.

But the Gunners have other teams for company at the top, with Aston Villa only behind on goal difference and Liverpool having the chance to leapfrog Arsenal and go top with a win at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

It’s not going to be easy to win the league this season, by any means, but Luiz evidently thinks it’s on the cards.

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