Bukayo Saka has revealed the Arsenal squad are picking the brains of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko in order to cope with the pressure of the title race.
Arsenal are currently six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League with eight matches to go. City, however, have a game in hand and will host the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium on April 26.
Arsenal have one of the youngest squads in the League and, as this is uncharted territory for many of them, they have been seeking advice from Jesus and Zinchenko. The pair, who joined Arsenal from City in the summer, have won four League titles each.
“I think in two ways [they are influencing us],” said Saka. “Of course they are quality [on the pitch], they are both special players.
“And then with their experience, they have been in many title races and fought for the biggest of trophies. So, they are just sharing their experiences with us and helping us mentally keep going.”
Arsenal travel to West Ham on Sunday and will be desperate to claim three points after being held to a 2-2 draw at Anfield last week. Mikel Arteta’s side had dominated the opening 30 minutes and raced into a two-goal lead.
Liverpool, however, hit back and could easily have won the game after squandering several chances in the second half.
“Of course, we were disappointed because we played so well in the first half and we wanted to continue playing like this,” Saka told Asian broadcaster K+.
“But Liverpool is a top team and obviously in the stadium with the atmosphere, it can help them a lot. In the end, we just have to take the point and say thank you to Aaron [Ramsdale] as well because he saved us at the end. Now, we have to change our focus to winning against West Ham.”
Arsenal’s lead at the top of the League could be cut to three points by the time they play the Hammers, with City in action on Saturday at home to struggling Leicester.
The Gunners should be boosted by the return of Eddie Nketiah to the squad as he is back training after six weeks out with an ankle injury. Defender William Saliba, however, remains a doubt as he is still struggling with a back problem picked up in the middle of last month.
