William Saliba says Arsenal need to be prepared to die on the pitch to earn their long-awaited Premier League title, and he believes they can do it.
With five games remaining and Arsenal and Manchester level on points, level on goal difference, and only three apart on goals scored, it really is all to play for in the final five games of both team’s Premier League campaigns.
Both know that they might need the full five wins from five to lift the trophy, and both know that even that might not be enough. It might not just be about winning in this final month, but winning big.
William Saliba says it’s a time for calm, but the team need to be ready to give everything on the pitch to achieve their goals this season.
“I think we need to be calm. We need to die on the pitch as well, because it’s now,” Saliba said. “Now we have to go, and we need everyone: the supporters, the team, the staff, everyone, because we have to do it now. After that, it’s too late.
“We know what we have coming, and we know what we have to do if we want to win the league. We have to start on Saturday.
“We have good pressure with us because when you play football, you want to play these kinds of games. We’re ready for that.
“We haven’t won the Premier League since 2004. It’s been a while. It means a lot for us and for me personally. I’ve been here for four years and I’ve always finished second. If we change that this season, it will be a massive success for us and for me. I’m sure we will do that.”
One positive for Arsenal is that all five of their remaining opponents are teams they’ve already beaten in the Premier League this season.
Funnily enough, the Gunners faced the same five teams in a row between the end of September and the start of November, beating Newcastle 2-1, West Ham 2-0, Fulham 1-0, Crystal Palace 1-0, and Burnley 2-0.
The same results again would put Arsenal in a great position to win the league, and pile a lot of pressure on City, who play most of their games after the Gunners have already been in action (with the caveat that the dates of some of their fixtures depend on whether they reach the FA Cup final).
Saliba and co. can’t take anything for granted, and they have to give their all in the coming games to give themselves their best possible shot.
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