FA Cup hurt will help Arsenal push in Premier League – Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka asserts that the disappointment Arsenal experienced upon their elimination from the FA Cup will serve as motivation for them to contend for the Premier League title.
In the third round of the FA Cup this month, Arsenal suffered a defeat against Liverpool, the current leaders of the table.
However, the Gunners made a strong comeback, securing a commanding 5-0 win over Crystal Palace in the league last Saturday.
“This match was so important to build the momentum again,” England winger Saka told TNT Sports.
“Going out of the FA Cup really hurt me so I’m sure we’ll use that to push in the Premier League and the Champions League next month. When you look at the league you want to be first – not fourth, or sixth or third. You want to be first.”
Mikel Arteta’s side returned reinvigorated from their warm-weather training camp as a Gabriel header, Dean Henderson own goal, Leandro Trossard finish and two late Gabriel Martinelli strikes sealed the three points.
“Dubai was really nice for us to have that break,” Saka added. “We weren’t in the best form before that and it helped us refresh and work on the things we needed to.
“We all knew we could score goals. We believe in ourselves and you saw that because we scored five and we’re happy with our performance.
“I needed the [rest] to be honest. The break came at the right time. We’re all hungry to push strongly until the end of the season.”
Before their triumph against Palace, Arsenal trailed Liverpool by five points. However, they have now caught up with second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
This win marked their first victory in five matches, as they had previously suffered three consecutive losses across all competitions.
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said it was a “critical day” for Arsenal.
“If they didn’t wake up, they would have fallen away from the title race,” he said on TNT Sports.
“These next three games – including this win – could change Arsenal’s season. I think they are very much back in the title race.”
The win at Emirates Stadium was the perfect comeback from Arteta’s side, whose only concern will have been the late substitutions of midfielder Declan Rice and forward Gabriel Jesus with potential injuries.
“Declan Rice was feeling a sensation in his hamstring so we didn’t want to take any risks at 3-0,” Arteta told TNT Sports.
“Gabriel [Jesus] had a tackle in the first half on his knee. I hope it’s not [too serious] but we will see.”
However, it was a highly satisfying afternoon for Arteta overall. He emphasized that instilling confidence in players is crucial if they aim to achieve success this season.
“We will try our best and love our players and make sure they feel trusted, because if they feel like this, they can get to a level you would never imagine,” he said.
“The positivity we had right from the beginning… I had a really good feeling in the last 10 days about the team and how they reacted. They are great players, we have a great team and today they really wanted it. I could feel that.
“It was a win with a clean sheet and we scored five goals which we really needed.”
Arteta was also not fazed that Arsenal are chasing their rivals as opposed to leading the title race, as they were at this stage last season before going on to finish five points behind champions City.
“It is what it is. I enjoy it more when we win every single game but we are in a good moment. We have the second half of the season to play for everything and we will go for it.”