London Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken about his team's lead in the Premier League. The Gunners are currently four points ahead of their closest rivals Manchester City. But for Arteta, there is something more important than these numbers: how the team performs every day and how long they can maintain this position.
"This position is a privilege because it is the result of our hard work"
The Spanish specialist stressed that the current position is no coincidence:
"The position we are in is a privilege because we have earned it and have been leading for a long time. Working every day for seven and a half months and maintaining our current position is a long time," said Arteta.
He believes that staying there is even harder than getting to first place. Because all your opponents prepare for you “double” and every game is almost like a final.
Tough trip to Wolverhampton ahead
On February 18, Arsenal will face Wolverhampton away in a postponed matchday 31. Arteta did not hide that this game will not be easy:
“We have a very difficult game ahead of us on Wednesday. Our recent experience against Wolverhampton showed us how difficult it is to get three points,” he said.
The expert added that he knows the game of the opponent, coach Rob Edwards and his teams well. So this time it will not be a simple “passable” match - a real test.
The source of confidence is the spirit and enthusiasm in training
Arteta said that his confidence in his team is based not only on the table, but on what he sees every day:
“I don’t get confidence from what I think, but from what I see in training every day and the enthusiasm of the players. My players have given me confidence with what we have done so far,” he said.
The main thing here is consistency: being able to show your game in every competition, under any pressure. This is the “biggest guarantee” for Arteta.
We are thinking about our task, not about City
In response to questions about the approaching pursuers in the league, Arteta made his position clear: our eyes are not on the opponent, but on the next game.
“As for the proximity of Manchester City, we are only thinking about our task - to play better than Wolverhampton and win.”
In short, for Arsenal, each round is a separate test for the championship. Leadership seems like a "gift of fate", but as Arteta says, it is not a gift - it is the reward of a day's work. Now it is the turn of Wolves: if the Londoners return from there with three points, they will once again prove that leadership is not a "talk", but a real claim.
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