Manager Mikel Merino insists Arsenal will grow under the pressure of winning the Premier League, saying their late push to draw 1-1 at Chelsea on Sunday was proof of their character.
Arsenal conceded Pedro Neto's equalizer in the 70th minute, but this could have been the trigger as they had been out of form since mid-October. They had one point from three league games, but lost to Inter in the Champions League last Wednesday.
Arsenal were consistent in creating chances in the closing stages, particularly when substitute Leandro Trossard narrowly missed the target from William Saliba's cross, with Kai Havertz well placed behind him. The offside flag was raised against Saliba. It would have definitely been reviewed by the video assistant referee as it was tight.
Arsenal trail leaders Liverpool with a nine-point difference. They overcame some of their toughest away games against Manchester City, Tottenham, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Chelsea. Mikel Arteta is unbeaten at Stamford Bridge in six games as Arsenal manager, so a draw there is not a bad result. For Merino, the context made it all the more disappointing.
“I know what you mean,” Merino said. “You have to look at everything, not just the result. But at the same time, you look at where the team is coming from, you look at how the team is playing, and I think it was a day that made me very proud of the players. After a difficult few weeks with many injuries, we did a great job.
“The mentality and character they are showing is unbelievable. You can see it immediately after conceding away goals, against normally superior teams, but they are setting the tempo, attacking and creating chances. It's us. This is a big sign of what this team is about.
“If you want to be in a big club, if you want to achieve big things, you have to love the pressure. You have to love playing against the best players and winning the biggest trophies. The mentality these players have It's about trying to be the best. Every day, every training session. You have to show it. We show it in training sessions, we have to show it in games. No. I certainly think it will.”
Merino said he wasn't thinking about the title, just the task at hand. Arsenal's next three league games after the international break will be against Nottingham Forest (home), West Ham (away) and Manchester United (home).
After newsletter promotion
“I have to think about the next step, the next training session, the next match,” Merino said. “Small steps add up in the long run, so don’t think too far ahead.
“We have to look at ourselves and look at how we want to perform and not start thinking about what happens if we lose. That adds extra pressure. We know that we have to win every game. We want it and we have to strive for it. We are currently pushing ourselves to achieve that. We have to stay focused, improve, and get better.”
