Mikel Merino believes that Arsenal have what it takes to compete for the Premier League title this season, provided they learn to thrive under pressure.
Speaking after Arsenal’s hard-fought draw against Chelsea, Merino praised the team’s mentality and character, emphasising the importance of loving the high-stakes environment that comes with being at a top club.
“If you want to be in a big club, if you want to achieve big things, you have to love the pressure,” Merino stated. “You have to love playing against the best and for the biggest trophies. The mentality that these players have is to try to be the best; every single day, every training session. It’s not only about wanting to do it. You have to show it. We are showing it in training sessions, we have to show it in games, as well. For sure, I think we will.”
Reflecting on Arsenal’s recent form, Merino pointed to the resilience shown by the squad amidst a difficult period involving key injuries. He emphasised the need to focus on the immediate tasks rather than getting ahead of themselves with title ambitions. “We have to think about the next step, about the next training session, the next game,” he said. “Don’t look too much ahead of ourselves because the small steps are the ones that are going to build the long run.”
Following the international break, Arsenal will face Nottingham Forest, West Ham, and Manchester United in their next Premier League fixtures. Merino urged his teammates to keep their concentration on delivering consistent performances: “We have to look at ourselves, how we want to perform and not start thinking about what is going to happen if we lose. That’s adding extra pressure. We know we have to win every game. We want that and we have to work for that. In order to achieve that, we have to focus on the present, on ourselves, on improving and getting better.”
Mikel Arteta echoed Merino’s sentiments, highlighting Arsenal’s continued growth despite mixed results in recent weeks. After seeing his side earn just a draw against Chelsea following a similar outcome against Inter Milan, Arteta acknowledged the frustration of not converting dominant displays into victories. However, he was clear in his pride for his players and the trajectory they are on.
“I’m very disappointed with the result, but I’m very proud of what the team has done again like we did on Wednesday night,” Arteta said. “It’s about transforming these performances into victories. We scored the first goal and we’re very disappointed with the way we conceded, nowhere near the standards, and we have to fault ourselves for that. But the team showed how much they wanted it. We put Chelsea on the ropes, dominated them, full of energy, and a lot of players were willing to score the goal to win it, but for very little margins, we were unable to do it.”
The game against Chelsea saw Gabriel Martinelli give Arsenal the lead, only for Pedro Neto‘s stunning long-range strike to level the score. Despite the setback, Arteta pointed to the mentality and energy shown by his players, who dominated large portions of the game, as a positive indicator for the future.
Arsenal have had to navigate a challenging schedule with several key players missing due to injury and suspension, including Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, who were both withdrawn in the latter stages of the Chelsea match. Arteta expressed concerns about their availability, with Rice dealing with a suspected broken toe. The injuries have come at a difficult time, with Arsenal having already faced several of last season’s top seven in the league.
“We have to look at the positives and the things that we have to improve,” Arteta added. “Certainly, what we have to improve is the ability in the team and the condition of the players physically to perform and help the team. So far in eight weeks, it has been an absolute nightmare with problem after problem. That’s the only thing I’m hoping. We’re going to have to earn it and we will, and we need at least that baseline to be consistent.”
Arsenal’s next league fixture against Nottingham Forest provides an opportunity to regroup after the international break, and both Arteta and Merino are hoping that the squad’s resilience can soon translate into the kind of consistency needed to sustain a title challenge. With fixtures coming thick and fast, the focus will remain on tackling each game as it comes, while striving to convert promising performances into points.