Arsenal players find themselves rooting for their arch-rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, as the Premier League title race reaches a nail-biting climax.

Defender William Saliba confessed that the entire Arsenal squad will be “Spurs fans” for the night, hoping Tottenham can secure a result against Manchester City that would boost Arsenal’s chances of winning the league.

Arsenal defender William Saliba has playfully declared that the entire Arsenal squad will be supporting Tottenham Hotspur in their crucial match against Manchester City tonight. The result of this game could significantly impact Arsenal‘s hopes of securing their first Premier League title since 2004.

Saliba, Player of the Match in Arsenal‘s 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday, emphasised the importance of Tottenham securing at least a draw against City. This would keep Arsenal at the top of the table going into the final round of fixtures, allowing them to control their own destiny.

“I think all the [Arsenal] team will be Tottenham fans,” he said. “Let’s pray for Tuesday. I hope it will be a good week for us. We did our job against United and we have another job at the weekend.”

Recognising the conflicted emotions of Tottenham fans, who might not relish the idea of helping their rivals, Saliba remains optimistic. “I know Tottenham’s fans don’t want them to win against City,” he said. “But they are good competitors, so I think they will try their best to win against City.

“We know Tottenham is a very good team. Our first game and second game this season with them was not easy. I hope they will be at their best on Tuesday.”

Saliba acknowledged the difficulty of Arsenal‘s victory against Manchester United, attributing it to their collective determination and resilience. He also admitted the team’s awareness of their historically poor record at Old Trafford, making the win even more significant.

“We are happy because it wasn’t easy to come to United and to take the points,” Saliba said. “It was a long time since we had come here and taken the three points.

“Were we aware of the record at Old Trafford? Yes, of course. We weren’t good but we took the three points. When we are not at our best we have to stay compact and suffer until the end.”

With the title race reaching its climax, Arsenal‘s fate now rests partially in the hands of their North London rivals. Saliba and his teammates will be hoping for a Tottenham victory or draw tonight, while also preparing for their own crucial final match against Everton at the Emirates Stadium.

Ange Postecoglou – I don’t understand fans who want to lose

Ange Postecoglou, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, has voiced his confusion over why some Spurs fans would prefer to lose against Manchester City tonight, even if it means preventing Arsenal from winning their first Premier League title in 20 years.

A defeat or draw for City would leave Arsenal in a commanding position to win the title, but Postecoglou has made it clear that his team will be playing for victory. “People are allowed to feel the way they do,” he said in response to some fans wanting to lose to thwart Arsenal’s title hopes. “I don’t understand it, I never will. I understand rivalry. I was part of one of the biggest ones in the world in the last couple of years with Celtic and Rangers but I’ve never, and will never, understand if someone wants their own team to lose. That’s not what sport is about.”

He emphasised the importance of hard work and genuine success over fleeting victories. “I think I’ve been consistent and strong in my belief it’s important for this football club not to look for magic bullets to get to where we want to. It’s hard work, it’s resilience, it’s quality, not to fall for any false dawns – and know what real success looks like: trophies. Anything else in between, bragging rights, whatever it is, is absolutely meaningless to me or anyone involved with me. We’ve got a game we want to win.”

To underline his point, Postecoglou pointed to the legacy within the club. “I suppose in these last 15 years, there have been years where Tottenham have had bragging rights. Walk through the halls, there’s no bragging rights there. The pictures on the wall do not show players with a big sign saying: ‘We’ve got bragging rights’. They’ve just got pictures of Bill Nicholson and people who have actually achieved. That’s where I want to get us.”

Despite Manchester City breaking their winless streak at Tottenham’s new stadium with an FA Cup victory in January, they have yet to score a Premier League goal there in four attempts. Postecoglou, who confirmed that Yves Bissouma will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury sustained in the win against Burnley, remains unfazed by past records. He focused on the opportunity to challenge the league’s best team. “We’ve got an opportunity to measure ourselves against the best: a team that has consistently strived for honours. We want to emulate them one day and the best way to do that is to test yourself against them. We’ll play our football and see where it takes us.”