Mikel Arteta prepares Arsenal for ‘most beautiful part of the season’
Mikel Arteta accepts Arsenal may have to win each of their nine remaining Premier League fixtures to be crowned champions as he prepares for the “most beautiful part of the season”.
The second-placed Gunners sit two points behind leaders Liverpool ahead of a hectic April schedule following Sunday’s dogged goalless draw at title rivals Manchester City.
Manager Arteta, who also has a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich to consider, wants his players to embrace the challenge, beginning on Wednesday evening at home to relegation-threatened Luton.
“It’s going to have to be really close to that,” he replied when asked if Arsenal need a 100 per cent record from now on to finish top of the table.
“When you see the level and the consistency of the other teams and historically what is needed to win in this league, it’s not going to be very far from that.
“This is where we want to be and now we want to take this opportunity and make it happen.
“We worked every single day with that enthusiasm and passion to make it happen and enjoying the moment as well.
“I see the team really flowing and they are really excited about playing each game and that has to drive them (on) this journey to the end.
“I am full of energy and it’s the most beautiful part of the season.”
Arsenal snapped an eight-match losing streak at the Etihad Stadium by holding City to a forgettable Easter Sunday stalemate.
Pep Guardiola’s hosts dominated possession but were toothless in attack as the Gunners’ defence excelled.
Arteta suggested he was forced to park his ego and tweak his footballing philosophy to secure the result.
“You have to (adapt) – sometimes because you want to adapt, sometimes because you have to adapt,” he said.
“You have to have that resilience and leave your ego aside and your ideology aside and do what you have to to win the game.
“I thought the team was mentally really strong and really clever the way they did it.”
Arsenal’s midweek meeting with Rob Edwards’ 18th-placed Hatters is the first of eight matches this month, including the two clashes with Bayern.
While the Gunners are overwhelming favourites for victory on Wednesday, they required a dramatic added-time winner to escape Kenilworth Road with a thrilling 4-3 success in early December.
Asked about his memories of that game, Arteta said: “Especially how tough it was to win there, how difficult they have made it for every team.
“Big compliments to Rob and the coaching staff and what they have done as a club, it’s an amazing journey.
“They deserve more credit than any other team in this league, how they’ve done it, what they transmit as a team and what they generated and it’s going to be a really tough match.”
Arteta is hopeful Bukayo Saka will be available after he limped off against City, while long-term absentee Jurrien Timber could return before the end of the campaign from the anterior cruciate ligament injury he sustained in August.
“He’s doing very well,” Arteta said of Dutch defender Timber.
“He’s back training. He’s not far off. The thing is that last step, he hasn’t played any minutes.
“I think he’s got a good chance (of returning this season). I don’t know a percentage but I think he’s got a good chance and he’s going to push it as far as he can.”
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Newcastle 'reignite interest' in £30m Arsenal goalkeeper
Newcastle revive interest in England goalkeeper Ramsdale
The 25-year-old weighing up options after losing starting place at Arsenal
Ramsdale acting as understudy to David Raya and wants regular game time
By Katie Catherall
12:45 PM GMT+1
Ramsdale has had a watching brief for most of the season
Ramsdale has had a watching brief for most of the season / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages
Newcastle United have reignited their interest in Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, a new report has claimed.
The 25-year-old has lost his place between the Emirates Stadium sticks to David Raya, who is on loan from Brentford, having spent two seasons as the club's first choice goalkeeper.
Chelsea have been extensively linked with Ramsdale, who played a key role in Arsenal's Premier League title push last season, but 90min revealed at the end of February that a move to Stamford Bridge is unlikely at this stage.
West Ham United have also been tracking Ramsdale, who is expected to make a decision on his future after Euro 2024 this summer amid further interest from mainland Europe.
90min understands that Ramsdale, who joined Arsenal in 2021 in a deal worth up to £30m, would prefer to remain in the Premier League, and Mail Sport report that Newcastle could offer him another route away from north London as they look to bolster their squad.
Aaron Ramsdale
Ramsdale is keen to pick up regular football next season / Shaun Botterill/GettyImages
Manager Eddie Howe has already signed Ramsdale once in his career, during his time as Bournemouth, and it's alleged that Newcastle's summer transfer plans include bringing in a younger alternative to current goalkeeping duo Martin Dubravka and Nick Pope.
35-year-old Dubravka is currently in possession of the gloves on Tyneside, with 32-year-old Pope still recovering from the dislocated shoulder he sustained during December's clash with Manchester United, but the Slovakian's deal has just over a year to run.
Ramsdale has played just six Premier League games for Arsenal this season after Raya's arrival, and the Englishman has also seen his involvement in cup competition limited by the club's early demises in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
He does have extensive Premier League experience though, playing 153 times in the competition en route to keeping 38 clean sheets, and remains a part of Gareth Southgate's England's setup despite seeing his playing opportunities limited.
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Kai Havertz rejected 14-time Champions League winners before Chelsea transfer
Havertz joined Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen for £75m in 2020
German international struggled at Stamford Bridge before joining Arsenal last summer
Real Madrid moved to sign Havertz before his switch to Chelsea, Bayer's CEO confirms
By Tom Gott
12:00 PM GMT+1
Havertz's career could have looked a lot different
Havertz's career could have looked a lot different / Sebastian Widmann/GettyImages
Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has revealed that Kai Havertz had the chance to join Real Madrid before his move to Chelsea in 2020.
The Blues paid £75m (€85m at the time) to lure a 21-year-old Havertz over to Stamford Bridge but, despite scoring the winning goal in a Champions League final, the German never lived up to sky-high expectations and was sold to Arsenal last summer.
While he is now finding his feet on the opposite side of London, Havertz's career could have looked a lot different if he had taken Carro's advice and joined Real Madrid.
In an interview with Onda Cero, Carro revealed that Madrid were prepared to sign Havertz for €80m but they could only afford to do so in 2021, and the forward declined to wait around for an offer to arrive.
"I tried to convince Kai to wait, but he wanted to win titles," Carro confessed. "We sold to Chelsea. One of the reasons was the ambition he had."
Kai Havertz
Havertz took his talents to Chelsea instead / Malcolm Couzens/GettyImages
Havertz did win the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup during his time at Chelsea, but his return of 32 goals and 15 assists in 139 appearances left fans frustrated and, as he entered the final two years of his contract, the German made it clear he wanted to move on.
Arsenal parted with £65m to land Havertz's signature, with manager Mikel Arteta initially trying to use the German in a midfield role. After several underwhelming months, Havertz has dazzled in 2024 as the starting striker.
His return of eight goals is already tied for his most prolific Premier League season - he reached that figure in slightly fewer minutes with Chelsea in 2021/22 - and Havertz has now established himself as a key player in Arsenal's push for Premier League glory.
As for Real Madrid, their 2021 summer transfer window saw Eduardo Camavinga arrive, before the €80m that was set aside for Havertz was splashed on Aurelien Tchouameni 12 months later.
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