William Saliba insists Arsenal are not feeling any pressure despite now being made red-hot title favourites.
Bookies have made the Gunners odds-on to clinch their first Premier League in 19 years after Mikel Arteta’s men went eight points clear after winning at Tottenham. Saliba says Arsenal can handle the expectation levels but also claimed that he always knew they could do something special this season.
The defender said: “There’s no pressure because we play for that. It’s better to have this pressure when you are at the top than when you are down at the bottom. It’s better to keep going like this and we don’t have to have pressure.
“After the summer, when I saw the team and the mentality, I told myself, ‘Yeah, we can do something this season’. We are focused on ourselves. We are not focused on our rivals. We have to keep going like this and stay focused only on ourselves.
“It’s never enough. We know we have a lot of games to go. We have to be focused because things can change quickly.”
Arsenal face in-form Manchester United next and Erik ten Hag’s side are the only team to have beaten the Gunners in the Premier League this season. It was a controversial win for United at Old Trafford as Gabriel Martinelli had a goal ruled out by VAR and there was a feeling of being hard done by afterwards.
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Saliba admits revenge is in the air but victory over another potential contender - United have won nine games in a row in all competitions - would be another major boost. Saliba said: “We know we have a big game this week. We know they beat us.
“They are the only team to beat us this season in the Premier League and we want to beat them again at home. We will prepare very well for this game, I think, and I hope we will win in front of our fans.”
Saliba has been one of Arsenal’s big success stories this season as his form has underpinned their defence and, since his return last summer, the France defender has been outstanding.
Now, Arsenal want to tie Saliba down to a new deal as his contract expires in 2024, but there is an option to extend it. Saliba added: “I am so happy here. The club is speaking with my agent and me, the only thing I can do is focus on my football. I am so happy here.”
