Arsenal players must not let their emotions get the better of them as they chase the Premier League title into the final day of the season, captain Martin Odegaard said ahead of their match against Everton.
Arsenal are two points behind leaders Manchester City going into today’s final round of fixtures. The Gunners must win to stay in contention, while City could lift their fourth title in a row if they beat West Ham United.
Arsenal’s hopes of ending their 20-year wait for the league title dwindled after City’s 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday put the Manchester side at an advantage. “We spoke about it the day after (City went ahead),” Odegaard told TNT Sports.
“We have to focus on ourselves, we can’t get too emotional about it. We have one more game, at home, it’s the last game of the season and our goal and our task is clear, we have to win that. We’ll see what happens. That’s our mindset now: win that last game, give the fans a good last game and we’ll see. It’s out of our control, we just focus on our game.”
The Norwegian midfielder said the Gunners have been amazing this season. “We’ve taken good steps and I feel like we’re a much better team compared to last season,” he added.
“We’ve had some really good games, some good results, and we are now there until the last day, to push for it.”
Arsenal finished second in the 2022-23 season, five points behind City. They last won the league title under manager Arsene Wenger in their 2003-04 “Invincibles” season when they went the entire campaign unbeaten.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he hoped his former manager David Moyes can give them a helping hand in the title race.
Moyes signed Arteta in 2005 when he was Everton manager, bringing the Spanish midfielder to England, where he spent the rest of his playing career before going into management. “He’s been instrumental and so important in my career, as a footballer and a person,” said Arteta.
“He could help us to fulfil our dream and my personal dream to win the Premier League. The only thing we’ve discussed is to give ourselves an opportunity to live a beautiful day. It’s possible, it’s football. We have to play like every single week. We have to win, then hope [for] West Ham to help us achieve our dream. That first part is on us, it’s the only thing we can focus on.”
Arsenal fell short by five points last season when their title challenge collapsed in May but this time they have been with City every step of the way in the closest title race in Premier League history.
And Arteta said he could not afford to think about what would happen if they lose the title to City again. “I can’t think like this. We have to win the game and we hope something beautiful is going to happen,” he said.
“If I don’t believe today, imagine how much I could believe in August. From August, 38 games against Man City after what they’ve done in 12 or 13 years, and what we’ve done in that time... we can’t think like this.”
Arsenal have never been in this position in a title race since their move from Highbury to Emirates Stadium in 2006.
A Premier League trophy will also be at the Emirates in case Arsenal manage to win the title. “We are in the last day of the season playing for the Premier League trophy, which has not been at the Emirates which was built 20 years ago,” Arteta said.
“The trophy is going to be there, it’s possible. We have to do our duty, then hope that happens. Let’s wish that’s the case.”
Reuters
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