I think this is the year, says Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka when asked if the Gunners are ready to deliver the Premier League title: “I don’t want to put too much pressure on us, but I do think this is the year. We have been close for the past two years and we are getting closer, but, yes, hopefully this will be the year”
Saka made the claim following Arsenal’s impressive 2-0 Champions League win against Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates.
Arsenal’s stand-in captain Saka doubled the hosts’ advantage with 10 minutes of the first half remaining after Kai Havertz had headed in the opener.
The statement win, against a side that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, came three days after a stoppage-time victory over Leicester which took Arsenal level on points with rivals City, one point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Arsenal have finished runners-up to Pep Guardiola’s side for the past two seasons, but when asked if the Gunners are ready to deliver their first league title since 2004, Saka, speaking on CBS, replied: “I don’t want to put too much pressure on us, but I do think this is the year.
After opening their Champions League campaign with a goalless draw at Atalanta, Arsenal fired a warning to their European rivals with a win that rarely looked in doubt.
Saka continued: “When I was speaking with the boys in the team talk before the game I made sure that I said, ‘Today we need to make a big statement’.
“When we have played in Europe against the big teams we haven’t always shown our full qualities and our usual standards, but we showed that at home.”
The victory lifted Arsenal to eighth in the table of this season’s rigged format. The top eight clubs qualify automatically for the knockout stages, with those finishing in ninth to 24th contesting a two-legged play-off to reach the last 16.
“It’s too early [to look at the table],” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “Everyone has to play a lot of different and difficult games, home and away, and we have to adapt to that.
“We still don’t know how many points we need. The only thing you can focus on is the performance, try to win our own games and we did it.
“We all want to be at the very top to play less games and to have the capacity to have better draws. It’s going to be a long journey, but now the focus is on the Premier League.”
Arteta’s side return to action in the Premier League with a home match against winless Southampton on Saturday.
Stay tuned for more update.