After the 3-0 win over Brighton in round 32 of the Premier League, coach Mikel Arteta said Arsenal are in better form and more confident than in the final stages of last season.
Last season, Arsenal led the Premier League for 93% of the time. But this time, as the tournament entered its final stages, they ran out of steam and missed out on the title to Man City. This is the longest period of time that a club has been at the top of the table but failed to win the title in the top flight of the English Premier League.
After yesterday's 3-0 win over Brighton, when asked about the difference in mentality compared to the same period last season, Arteta replied: "I think we are in a really good moment. We have a healthy squad with really good energy, a lot of confidence, both individually and collectively, because the team is playing well and winning a lot of games. We have to continue to show that form."
Coach Arteta and his players applauded Arsenal fans who followed the team to The Amex Stadium to cheer after the 3-0 win over Brighton in the 32nd round of the Premier League on April 6. Photo: arsenal.com
Similarly, Bukayo Saka believes Arsenal have learned a lot from last season to maintain their title challenge against Man City and Liverpool this season. "I feel the team is in a much better condition, both physically and mentally, than last season," the England midfielder said. "The team learned a lot of big lessons from last year, so they know what to do in games like today. In these types of games, we need to score early, keep a clean sheet, work hard and not concede silly goals. I feel the team is very solid and really impressive in 2024, and I'm very pleased."
At The Amex on April 6, Arsenal had the better of the two teams, with 20 shots and seven on target - compared to Brighton's 10 and 2. Saka opened the scoring for the visitors from the 33rd minute with a penalty after Gabriel Jesus was fouled by Tariq Lamptey in the box. In the second half, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard scored to make it 3-0.
Arsenal remain unbeaten in the Premier League in 2024, winning 10 and drawing one of their 11 games. Arteta's side have not been behind for any minute of those 11 games - their longest such run since a 12-game run between February and May 2005.
Trossard (right) in the situation that sealed a 3-0 victory for Arsenal against Brighton. Photo: Reuters
The win over Brighton also puts Arsenal back at the top of the table for at least 24 hours, before Liverpool - who have 70 points - visit Man Utd today. Arsenal now have 71 points with a goal difference of +51, their best since the final day of the 2004-05 season (also +51).
According to Arteta, Arsenal had a strong performance in all aspects. "Brighton have not lost at home since August, which shows how strong a team they are. But we continued to play excellently," said the Spanish coach. "We were united and showed a real threat in attack. The team also showed discipline and resilience."
Arsenal have conceded just four goals in 2024 and have kept five consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League - a club record in the competition. David Raya continues to lead the race for the Golden Glove with 12 clean sheets, ahead of Ederson (Man City), Bernd Leno (Fulham), Andre Onana (Man Utd) and Jordan Pickford (Everton) - who all have eight.
Goalkeeper Raya dived to block Enciso's dangerous shot in the 42nd minute of Arsenal's 3-0 win over hosts Brighton at The Amex Stadium in round 32 of the Premier League. Photo: Reuters
Arteta praised the defence and particularly enjoyed Gabriel Magalhaes blocking a Brighton shot in stoppage time with Arsenal 3-0 up, then celebrating with the rest of the team. "That's the spirit and body language you look for in a team. The players are showing unbelievable consistency, a lot of desire and quality," said the 42-year-old.
On April 9, Arsenal returned to their home stadium to face Bayern in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. "A stadium full of Arsenal fans," Saka said, smiling. "I'm excited, the whole team is excited and needs to recover and be ready for the next game."
Hong Duy
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