Pep: If Leicester beat us, the title race is over | Arteta: We need luck

Pep Guardiola insists his Manchester City side have no room for error like them

take on struggling Leicester on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
The defending champions could get within three points of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a win at the Etihad Stadium, but any mistake could prove costly.
City manager Guardiola said: “At the start of the season, our good games were really, really good, but we haven’t been consistent.
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“Everyone knows that if we had lost those games, we would not have won the title. Tomorrow [Saturday] is the same. If we lose the game, we are not champions.
“If we win we’d still be there, but we mustn’t forget that we’re six points behind Arsenal, a team who have lost few points all season and play one game a week.”

Guardiola has not picked up any new injuries as City look to extend their winning streak to 10 games in all competitions, although England midfielder Phil Foden, who underwent an appendectomy last month, is still missing.
When asked about his condition, Guardiola said: “I think he’s feeling better. I spoke to the doctors three days ago and he’s feeling better, but he’s not ready yet.
“I don’t know [when it will be ready]. When he starts training you will know from our social media and after that he’s almost back but he can’t train with us yet.”

Pep: Brighton’s best team in the world to build from behind

Saturday 15th April at 5pm

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City’s Arsenal match is against European-chasing Brighton, and the date for the match has yet to be set.
However, Guardiola is wary of their play at Amex as he is at home to title rivals Arsenal later this month.
“The reality is that we are six points behind,” said the Spaniard. “There is no guarantee that we will win the match against the best [Brighton] team in the world to build the match.
“There is no team better at taking the ball from the goalkeeper until the last fifteen minutes. There is currently no better team in modern football.
“Then we have Arsenal at home. There are no guarantees. To be close we have to win our games.
“If the matches are drawn, we will see the reality. Tomorrow we will have to sleep three points behind.”

Arteta: We need luck in the title race

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admits luck is always on your side in a title race

On the other side of the title race split, Mikel Arteta admitted his Arsenal side need luck to emerge victorious against City.
The Gunners head to London rivals West Ham on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, looking for ways to win again after last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Liverpool.
“You need luck at the right time,” Arteta said.

“That luck, and where it comes from, is going to be very important. There’s another part to sport, sometimes it’s about inches. These customs must go your way.

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“We are where we are. We are happy where we are. Now we have to finish the job. To do this, we demand that little something extra from everyone.

What sets Arsenal and Manchester City apart is a stark contrast in the remaining fixtures. The Gunners have only the Premier League to contend with, while City have an FA Cup semi-final next week, while they are one-legged in the Champions League semi-final.
When asked if the number of matches will play a role, Arteta added: “We want our players to be as fit and available as possible.
“We’ve had some problems, especially in the last few months, with some important players. We want everyone to be available, fit and at their best.”

Do you feel Arsenal is still hopeful of the title race with the new talks arising?  Leave your comments…

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Why Tierney must replace Zinchenko when Arsenal visit West Ham

Why Zinchenko must be abandoned. by Vivek Julka

Oleksandr Zinchenko must now be let go. As good as he goes, he’s been weak defensively this season.
People saw him now as he let us down in a crucial moment at Anfield, leading to Liverpool’s late equalizer on Sunday.
Also in our home game against Man City, he kept giving the ball away and was unable to score. He’s a very good footballer, but defensively he’s not as good as Kieran Tierney. The game called Tierney in the 60th minute as we were under pressure but Mikel Arteta made a late substitution then conceded.

Jamie Carragher commented on Zinchenko, telling Sky Sports after the match, as quoted by The Metro: “He’s brilliant on the ball but drops them defensively at the last minute.”

“You have to be more aggressive – the championship is on the line. It can’t happen. It’s almost like he’s training, so he has to be more intense.”

We can’t afford these mistakes at this stage of the season, especially when Man City are right behind us. Mistakes like this cost us the title.
In my opinion Tierney should have started against Liverpool but he has to start against West Ham.

Do you believe the changes will favour Arsenal’s performance in the next match? Leave your comments…

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Reiss Nelson sends a four word message to Eddie Nketiah before Arsenal vs West Ham

Reiss Nelson sent Eddie Nketiah a four-word message after returning to training ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League match against West Ham this weekend.
Arsenal will make the short trip through London to face relegation-threatened West Ham on Sunday afternoon as Mikel Arteta looks to extend his side’s lead at the top of the table. The Gunners played their part in a thrilling 2-2 draw against Liverpool for the last time in the league, as Arsenal dropped points for the first time in eight games.

Meanwhile, West Ham recorded a vital 1-0 victory over Fulham as they came one step closer to safety in the Premier League.
However, to encourage Arsenal fans, Nketiah returned to first team training and Nelson sent a short but sweet message to his teammate.

Nelson’s message to Nketiah

Nketiah took to Instagram on Tuesday and posted a photo of himself, Bukayo Saka and Nelson training, accompanied by the caption, “it’s good to be back there.”
Nelson reposted his picture to his story, writing “my boys come back one,” along with a heart emoji. Nketiah has not played for Arsenal since March 1 when he injured his ankle in the 4-0 win over Everton.

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Prior to his injury, the 23-year-old was crucial for Arteta, scoring twice against Manchester United, including an injury-time winner.

Luckily for the fans, Gabriel Jesus is fit again after a three-month layoff with knee problems and has scored in back-to-back games against Leeds and Liverpool.
It’s too early to say whether Nketiah will feature against West Ham, although his timely return will help ease the pressure on Jesus as the Arsenal boss heads into the final eight games of the season.

Do you think what he said could translate to a good performance when Arsenal play against West Ham? Leave your comments…

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Five things noticed during Arsenal training, including Thomas Partey’s injury surge

Arsenal are preparing for a visit from Leeds on Saturday in the first of their last 10 games of the Premier League season, with Mikel Arteta struggling with mixed injury news

Arsenal are stepping up their preparations for their return to the Premier League with a visit from Leeds on Saturday.
The Gunners are eight points clear at the top of the table, although their biggest challenger, Manchester City, will play ahead of them this weekend. Leeds will be a tough test after enjoying a resurgence under new manager Javi Gracia.

But boss Mikel Arteta will be keen to clinch the title for the best possible start at the Emirates Stadium. Here, Mirror Football takes a look at the top five talking points from Arsenal’s latest training session, which took place on Thursday morning.

Partey’s injury fears eased

There are fears Thomas Partey could be sidelined after missing Ghana’s draw with Angola on Monday. Partey was left as an unused substitute, with Black Stars boss Chris Hughton confirming this was due to injury.

But worries that he could miss Arsenal’s upcoming matches have been allayed now that the midfielder has been seen taking part in training sessions. The 29-year-old completed his work in the gym and joined his teammates on the training ground.

Jesus is back to his best

Having played just 38 Premier League minutes since the World Cup, Gabriel Jesus looks set to step up his return to form. The forward has come off the bench in the Gunners’ last two best games.

But he seems ready to take on a bigger role as he has had two weeks to continue his recovery before the run-up. The Brazilian was fully involved in training, tackling Leandro Trossard for the ball and sprinting forward while he was in possession.

Young players are also back

Arteta is likely to count on its experienced professionals for the last 10 arsenal games of the season. But that did not prevent him from giving young people the chance from impressing the last training session of the Gunners.

Charles Sagoe, Mauro Trail and Reull Walters were all invited to join the group of the first team in London Colary on Thursday. Sagoe and trainer were even faced against others in an attack on a defense exercise.

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Saka admits and mentioned the two Arsenal players that brought winning mentality to the team

Arsenal forward Saka has established himself as one of the best wingers in the premier league. Saka has continued to put on impressive performances for the Gunners and he’s now slowing down. He’s also among the most valuable players in the World.

Bukayo Saka believes Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko have brought belief to the dressing room after their 3-1 win over West Ham United. The Gunners grabbed a comeback win over David Moyes’s side thanks to goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah and Saka.

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has credited the winning mentality of two new players for changing the club’s fortunes this season. The 21-year-old has praised Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko for bringing a new level of quality and leadership to the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal are currently leading the Premier League table with 69 points after 28 games, but they are closely followed by second-placed Manchester City, who have 61 points plus a game in hand. The Gunners have been in excellent form this season, and much of their success can be attributed to the impact of their new signings.

Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko were both signed by Arsenal in the summer transfer window last year.

Saka has been particularly impressed with Zinchenko’s impact on the team. “Zinchenko has brought quality – but he’s brought so much more,” he said as per The Mirror. “You can see how he plays and how he controls the game. He’s an outstanding player. He has great leadership qualities, so he’s really helping us on all fronts.”

But it’s not just Zinchenko’s quality that has made a difference. Saka believes that both Zinchenko and Jesus have brought a winning mentality to Arsenal that was previously lacking. “They have brought that winning mentality to us as players who have been there and won the league,” he said. “In difficult moments they know how it feels, they can encourage us because we have a lot of young players. They really help us with the mental side of things.”

Arsenal fans will be hoping that this winning mentality will help them secure their first Premier League title since 2004. With just ten games left to play, the Gunners are in a strong position, but they will need to maintain their form if they are to hold off the challenge of Manchester City and other title contenders.

Regardless of whether they win the title this season, Arsenal fans can be optimistic about the future. With young talents like Saka and new signings like Jesus and Zinchenko, the club looks set for a bright future.

“He was encouraging and speaking to me and the other boys in the changing rooms” he said.

ARSENAL FIXTURES

Gabriel Jesus picked up a knee injury at the World Cup and struggled to perform well in the tournament. However, he has been highly impressive in performance since joining the Gunners from City. Gabriel Jesus has netted five goals for Arsenal while Oleksandr Zinchenko has managed ten appearances across all competitions since leaving Manchester City.

William Saliba happy to focus on Arsenal title bid as contract talks continue

William Saliba insists he is “so happy” at Arsenal as contract negotiations continue behind the scenes of an increasingly compelling Premier League title bid.
The Gunners are eight points clear at the top after a 2-0 derby win at Tottenham on Sunday.

An own goal from Hugo Lloris and a long-range effort from captain Martin Odegaard secured Arsenal’s first-ever victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and propelled them higher up the table.

France international Saliba has played a big role in the club’s revival after making his debut earlier in the season after being loaned out three times from north London.

His performances have been so high that he is set to sign a new contract with Arsenal and he is ready to continue the talks in the background as Mikel Arteta’s side seek glory. “We are delighted because the derby is an important match, and it was also an away game,” he said.
“We know it’s not easy to win here, so we are so happy. We didn’t concede a goal and scored two.

“We are focused on ourselves. We are not targeting our rivals. We have to continue like this and only focus on ourselves.
“I’m so happy here. The club are talking to my agent and me, the only thing I can do is (focus on my football). I’m so happy here.”

After Spurs’ victory, Arteta said a continued title challenge “would need almost perfection” for the rest of the season, with Saliba now hitting back with a win over Manchester United – the only team Arsenal should beat this season – looking for the next weekend.

“It’s never enough,” he replied when asked what it meant to be eight points clear at this stage. “We know we have a lot of games to play. We have to be focused because things can change quickly. If we lose a game we can’t have confidence afterwards, so we have to be focused to go ahead and try to win. We focus on ourselves.

“There is no pressure. It’s better to have that pressure when you’re up than when you’re down. It’s better to continue like this and we don’t need to be under pressure.

“We know we have a big game next week. We know they beat us. They are the only team to have beaten us in the Premier League this season and we want to beat them again at home. “We will prepare for this match very well, I think, and I hope we win in front of our fans. We will continue. We didn’t know about it before (Arsenal could win the championship), but when summer started, I said tell me we can do something “.