Arsenal Shield

When Arsenal’s players prepare to take to the pitch at the Emirates Stadium, they always see, in large letters, commanding the dressing room, the motto Mikel Arteta He wanted to highlight for his time in north London: “We are Arsenal.” For the Basque coach, every detail matters, and the strength of that motto is driving the Gunners’ preparations. This is the core of their new attitude as a team and the ambition they show in every game, on their way to winning a title. That identity link as a club, along with souvenir photos at the stadium of Arsène Wenger, Henry, Seaman, Bergkamp, ​​Pires or Vieira, the heroes of the last title in 2004, were there to remember what Arsenal had been in the past.

The psychological preparation to come out strong in the games is key to Arteta. And so it is this season, also on Tuesday against Luton Town (2-0), where Arsenal is seen as tougher, more mental and stable, as a clear candidate to win the Premier. The numbers say it all, as the highest scorer and the fewest goals scored. The players are also infected by the enthusiasm that surrounds the club, as it is steeped in the so-called ‘spirit of Islington’, the multicultural area of ​​north London with the neighborhoods of Holloway, Barnsbury, Highbury and Finsbury Park. colored red and white when they play. the ‘gunners’ at the Emirates.

With the best possible defence, their two consecutive clean sheets, against the ‘hatters’ and last Sunday against Manchester City, show the false mentality of the new Arsenal, who are ready for the title. Leaving the Etihad in Manchester unscathed, with the dark memory of last year’s 4-1, is no easy task. That final 0-0 should not be underestimated. It is the exercise of self-improvement and resistance that they need so much. Arteta like his players. His ‘walled’ defense is only a result of his greater security and confidence.

Now this is a team that knows how to adapt and protect itself. Last year’s painful runner-ups led to a deliberate plan of strengthening and resistance that was conceived over many months. This was accentuated in the Dubai winter stage, after two unexpected defeats in the month of December, which raised doubts. When they returned to compete, Arsenal showed themselves to be better both tactically and physically. He also uses better strategic plays, which is where the header goals of his two centre-backs came. Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, keys to the positive change of ‘gunners’.

The motivation

In the documentary ‘All or nothing: Arsenal’ you can take in the origins of the intense motivation that their footballers breathe. Many of the talks Arteta Before the games, they aim to inspire faith in themselves and the club’s project. “We all support them. “Don’t stop believing in its quality,” he repeated. The disappointment of the previous season increased their desire for success. And the arrival of new players like Declan Rice or Kai Havertz They gave him a lot of tactical strength. The Gunners seek the path of excellence, without concessions. They have now become a team capable of tackling big games with intelligence and pragmatism, when necessary, as was the case at the Etihad in Manchester.

Arsenal will not be afraid of tough games away from the Emirates, which will end up deciding whether they can overcome competition from Liverpool and City this time around, as they have an outstanding defence. The relationship of its two centre-backs, Magalhaes and Saliba, the power of rice, including the scope and experience of Jorginhoin the central axis of the team, is made easy for David Raya so that the goalkeeper appointed by Artetareplaced Ramsdale, the fewest goals scored in the Premier League. They have been preparing for this moment for months, to withstand the pressure. “It’s another Arsenal”, confirms as a challenge a rice outstanding, the signing that changed the face of the Gunners’ game.

Four tough outings

Also Arteta have improved, after suffering the disappointment of last year, when they were 10 points ahead. Now he is more tactically versatile. The San Sebastian coach does not care to present a more defensive image, and he recognized it after the 0-0 draw in Manchester: “For one day, we put aside the ideology of the club.” He also now believes that titles are ultimately won with good defenses. Contrary to the trend all year, Arsenal had just 27% of possession and committed 20 fouls to stifle the ‘skyblues’ constant attack.

Arsenal’s title hopes, after a 20-year wait, will depend on Liverpool’s results and how the Gunners resolve their four remaining trips, against Brighton & Hove Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United , all teams from the top of the classification. One of them is ‘spurs’, their dreaded rivals from ‘North London’.

Faced with that mountain that remains to be climbed, all of that Arteta This is to stimulate and preserve the spirit of its players. Against Luton Town, the players wanted Reiss Nelson, Smith Rowe or the recovered Thomas Party, really weird. “We need them all,” he said. Arteta in front of his men, whom he asked to be prepared. And he said it in a convincing message of commitment: “Sometimes you only need a second to change the history of a club.”