Manager Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to seize the chance to face Burnley on Monday Night Football and move one step closer to their “ultimate goal” of winning a major.
A win over the relegated Clarets at the Emirates Stadium would put Arsenal five points clear at the top of the Premier League, with Manchester City set to become champions if they fail to beat Bournemouth, live on Sky Sports on Tuesday.
The Gunners aim to end a 22-year wait for Premier League glory after three successive second-place finishes, and Arteta said the pain of the near miss is driving them forward.
“If you look at the trajectory and achievements we’ve had in terms of consistency, points and wins over the last few years, especially the last four, I think we’ve already won some big trophies,” the Arsenal manager told Sky Sports.
“That only happens in this league, but it’s what drives you to get even better. So we still have to take steps to finalize the business and that’s the opportunity we have over the next three days.”
Arteta added that it has been a collective effort to get Arsenal this far since taking over in 2019.
“There are obviously so many people contributing every day to creating and building what in our eyes is the best path forward and the best way to do it,” he said.
“And you have to earn it every day, adapt to the situation, shape it, change it. And in the end it will come when the owners show their ambition, the supporters show their ambition, the team, the players, the staff all show their ambition.”
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Highlights of the Premier League match between West Ham and Arsenal
“The level here in the Premier League is extraordinary so we have to adjust a lot of things but we are getting closer to it now.”
The Arsenal boss, who goes into Monday’s game having to find a solution at right-back after Ben White was sidelined with injury in favor of Julian Timber, summed up his team’s campaign so far with the words “resilience, ambition and adaptability”.
Monday, May 18th 6:30pm
Kickoff at 8pm
“I think it’s important to be very adaptable and find ways to stay competitive and resilient within the circumstances, especially if you’re going to challenge for big trophies in this country,” he added.
“The team has shown that over the last 10 months. We have three games left and all that matters now is Burnley. How do we go out there and be the best version of ourselves in this situation and with the injuries?”
“I’m trying to bring my thoughts into the present, living in the moment and focusing on what’s really important today, to continue the journey in the right way and prepare for Burnley.”
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Hear VAR audio from Sunday’s key moments in the Premier League between West Ham and Arsenal.
Manchester City are two points behind Arsenal, but their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace brought them level on goal difference and could help them reach the final trophy destination.
“The only thing we have to do is earn the right to be better than the opponent,” Arteta said.
“That gives us a big chance of winning the game and then the rest may come.
“But we need to do it. If you watched the game against Aston Villa a few days ago, you knew it was going to be a tough game.”
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Jamie Carragher praises Martin Odegaard’s leadership and ‘world-class ability’ for Arsenal’s winning goal against West Ham
Arteta, who was praised for his second-half substitutions that enabled Arsenal to beat West Ham after his first-half decision to move Declan Rice to right-back in place of the injured Whyte backfired, said he would continue to follow his instincts when making selections.
“We need to put everything on the table first to make that decision,” he added. There are many pieces.
“And the decisions you make are for a period of time during the match, because maybe a player can’t play for 90 minutes, so he might have to come on as a substitute for 60 minutes that was already planned, and then he has to do it again.”
“I think the important thing is to analyze every situation and follow your intuition.”
Watch Arsenal vs Burnley live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 6.30pm on Monday. Kickoff 8pm
