Arsenal weren’t thought about as title challengers at the start of this season and therefore to have any consideration about the then-eighth-placed finishers from 2020/21 being in with a shot of the league in the last campaign seems madness. However, Mikel Arteta has instilled a belief in his side.
A process, as it is so often described, has seen the Arsenal way reach new heights under Arteta this season with a five-point lead at the top and a game in hand over title rivals Manchester City. The Gunners will know that a win over Everton on Saturday will restore that eight-point buffer over the side that knocked them out of the FA Cup last week.
However, it has become apparent that the group behind Mikel Arteta already knew they could be in this position. Some suggest that had they put into practice what the Spaniard was coaching sooner, they might not be considered surprise candidates for the league this season.
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Speaking to Goal, Takehiro Tomiyasu was adamant that what is being shown by the team in the current campaign was already understood. However, the Japanese international admitted that despite Arteta showing them the right things, they weren’t able to deliver it then, but they are now.
“Last season we understood,” said Tomiyasu, “But we couldn’t express it.
“But this season we understand, and we are showing how he wants us to play. This is the big difference.”
Tomiyasu is not the only player that had belief that the Gunners had it in them already to challenge. Speaking in the pre-season before any suggestions externally a charge for top spot would be on the cards for Arsenal, Mohamed Elneny said after scoring against Nurnberg that they would try for the title.
“I think we pushed really hard to be top four last season but unlucky we didn’t make it.
“But this season we go again, and we try to win the league, to try to do as much as we can to put this Arsenal football club to the place they deserve.”
Surprising, but perhaps not internally. It appears there remains a theme throughout the club that top four is not ever the aim and instead they believe that pushing to finish as high as feasibly possible is the main goal.
Edu told football.london in the summer that qualifying for the Champions League is not what they want to be associated with. He emphasised that is not what Arsenal are about.
"Ah, Champions League, ok — I accepted that because I want to be realistic. But here [head], I want to win. A club like Arsenal, at our size, is not building to be fighting for fourth place. I’m sorry," he said.
"We have to be realistic — there’s City, Liverpool etc — that’s fine, I accept that. But also, you cannot accept that. Here, when you join this club, when you see our size, we cannot accept it."
Bold words and certainly ones which the Gunners supporters have longed to hear with substance to back it up. A title this season would be an astonishing achievement but perhaps not as surprising for those on the inside that have been building toward it.
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