Arsenal manager Mikel Artata don urge im players to love the noise and pressure wey dey come with Premier League and Champions League title race. According to Arteta, if you wan win big trophies, you must accept say sometimes you go lose and people go destroy you.
Arteta yarn with Sky Sports say: “I tell them: love it. If you want to win the Premier League and want to win the Champions League, what’s going to happen? You’re going to lose a match and they’re going to destroy you. That’s it.”
The Gunners dey prepare for crucial match against Fulham on Saturday, wey go show live on Sky Sports. If Arsenal win, dem go move six points clear of second-placed Manchester City, though City get two games in hand.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard also talk say the energy for training ground dey high. Im write for matchday programme: “Since the final whistle on Wednesday we’ve been looking forward to today’s game and concentrating on how we can get the three points. The energy is great at the training ground right now. I think everyone is feeling that we’re close to something really big.”
Odegaard praise new defender Piero Hincapie, wey join the club this season and don impress. Im say: “From the first day he came in, he’s brought a huge energy and he’s so competitive. He always gives everything every day in training and every single game.”
Arteta talk about how im handle stress for title race. Im say im only listen to criticism from people wey want the best for the club. “In my [playing] career I never read so much – especially from people who did not want the best for us,” Arteta explain.
The Arsenal boss also put special emphasis on the Fulham game. Im say: “Against Newcastle there were five games to go – and that was game one. Now it’s game two – and if you win that one, you really start to get very, very close to it.”
Fulham get their own target – dem dey fight for European qualification. Marco Silva side dey 10th with 48 points, just two behind Brighton for sixth place. But dem go miss injured players like Alex Iwobi and Ryan Sessegnon.
Arsenal get injury boost with Bukayo Saka set to make im first Premier League start since March international break. Eberechi Eze also expected to start. But Kai Havertz likely no go fit for weekend, and Mikel Merino still sideline after foot surgery.
Predicted Arsenal lineup: Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapié; Zubimendi, Rice, Ødegaard; Saka, Havertz, Eze. Fulham predicted lineup: Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Lukić; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Bobb; Jiménez.
The match go show live on Sky Sports for UK, and for US for NBC and Telemundo. With both title race and European places at stake, this na big game for both sides.
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