Mikel Arteta admits he is leaning on the ‘experience’ of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko during Arsenal’s title run-in.
Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the Premier League table as the campaign reaches its conclusion, but a run of three consecutive draws has seen second-placed Manchester City – who boast two games in hand on the Gunners – narrow the gap.
Arsenal take on their title rivals in a huge showdown at the Etihad on Wednesday night, a fixture that will see Jesus and Zinchenko face their former club.
The duo won four Premier League titles each during decorated spells at Manchester City and Arteta admits that title-winning experience ‘is key’ for his emerging side.
“For sure [I am leaning on them],” he said at his pre-match press conference. “I think experience is key.
“When you have been in those moments, to handle those moments, to understand the importance of certain things when you are competing in a football match, the capacity to transmit – like those two players have – to the rest of the team. Very very important.
“Some of them are young, but they play a lot of games already.”
Arteta discussed the adaptation of the duo since their arrivals at the Emirates last summer and revealed how the pair stated early belief that Arsenal could compete for the title this season.
“[I am involving them] In a very natural way. When they came in, after two or three weeks, they said – because they have been where they have been – they said: ‘We can win this league’.
“It’s not something we have started to feel or they have tried to transmit. I didn’t know about that, but they said to me a few months ago that it has been going on since August. It is not something that you now rely on, no no, this process has been coming a long time.”
