"Arsenal are seven points clear at the top as they prepare for the visit of Manchester United on Sunday; they have by far the meanest defence in the division and have shown their strength in many other areas, including set pieces. Pep Guardiola, whose Manchester City are second, described Arsenal as the best team in the world on Friday and Arteta has heard the line about how it is their title to lose."
"I don't think anybody has probably more motivation, more hunger, more desire for us to go all the way and win it [than me]. But we know that the only way to do it is focusing and being very present in the moment and doing everything that we have to do today then do it better tomorrow. That's the only thing we can control."
"The rest is just things that don't add any value to us and they can take the focus to the wrong place. It is talking every single day about what we have to do, what we are doing, what we can improve. We know how tough it's going to be on Sunday and if we start to prepare on Sunday it's too late. So we already start to prepare after our Champions League win over Inter Milan on Tuesday."
Arsenal sit seven points clear at the top with the Premier League's meanest defence and additional strengths, notably set pieces. Recent league matches produced 0-0 draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, generating anxiety among supporters. Public talk positioning Arsenal as champions-elect risks distracting the squad, prompting emphasis on present-focused, daily preparation that began immediately after the Champions League win over Inter Milan. Preparation is already focused on the upcoming home match against Manchester United. The club's last league title came in 2003-04, underlining the significance of the current position in the title race.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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