Arteta says consistency can fire Arsenal to special season

Mikel Arteta said Friday that Arsenal’s impressive consistency should make them “very convinced” they can achieve something special this season.

The Premier League leaders, six points clear of second-placed Manchester City, are away to lowly Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Arsenal, runners-up in the league for the past three seasons, are without a major trophy since 2020 but are now fighting on four fronts.

The Gunners are top of the league phase of the Champions League with a perfect record. They also beat Chelsea 3-2 in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final this week and are still in the FA Cup.

Arsenal manager Arteta was asked at his pre-match press conference on Friday whether he sensed a belief that the club were on the verge of achieving something special or even historic this season.

“We are building very good momentum and belief comes from performances, the level of consistency that we have shown throughout 32 games already this season,” said the Spaniard, whose side have lost just twice this season.

“And what we did the other day at Stamford Bridge, it should help us to be very convinced that we have the ability to do that.

“But the reality is that you have to show it in every game and there’s still so much to happen, but we are glad that we are still alive in the four competitions.”

Arteta added his players had reacted positively to extra competition for places in a strengthened squad.

“It’s something that we talked about from the start of the season,” he said. “If we want to have any chance of doing that (winning the Premier League), we have to be there.”

The Arsenal manager said other clubs who had challenged for the Premier League title in recent years such as City and Liverpool also had deep squads.

“So this is the nature,” he said, with Arsenal bidding to be crowned champions of England for the first time since 2004. “We want this. We really have to accept this because there’s no other way.

“They haven’t done it with 14, 15 or 16 players — none of the clubs in the history in the last 10, 15 years. So it’s something that we want to be there. We have to do it and it has to be natural.”