Bukayo Saka Rejects Arsenal Claim With Brutal Warning Over Title Hopes

The Gunners dropped two crucial points against Wolves on Wednesday evening.

A tough defeat for Arsenal. | Paul ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Bukayo Saka has denied suggestions Arsenal are struggling to cope with the pressure of the Premier League title race.

“No, I don’t think about all that,” was Saka’s firm response after stepping up to face the media firing line in the aftermath of Wednesday’s shock 2–2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers, which saw the Gunners throw away a two-goal lead and invite Manchester City back into the title race.

“I just think we have to get back to our level. Do the basics right and we’ve got more than enough quality in this team to win games, especially in the games where we’ve been dropping points in recently. We need to fix that and that’s all our focus is right now.”

Saka, who conceded Arsenal “dropped our standards big time,” also admitted the Gunners have seen their momentum stall at a crucial point of the season.

“It’s very flat,” Saka said of the mood in the dressing room. “It’s time for us to reflect on the last few performances and fix the issues immediately, so we can get back to winning games, go on a run and build momentum because we’ve lost that a bit right now.”

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Arsenal Must Banish Familiar Demons Ahead of Premier League Run-In

Mikel Arteta was left hugely frustrated. | Andrew Kearns/CameraSport/Getty Images

Arsenal have been here before. Social media has been flooded by taunts of “bottling” against a Gunners squad with an unwanted history of capitulating when the pressure grows highest in the title race.

Ahead of the game, manager Mikel Arteta argued injuries were threatening to derail Arsenal’s title hopes once again. There can be no denying that the absences of Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino, coupled with the late withdrawal of Saka on Wednesday, have not helped Arsenal, but the reality is their defeat against Wolves had nothing to do with that.

A negative approach to the second half against statistically the worst team in the division brought poor decisions all-round and an uncharacteristic mistake in defence, where the usually imperious David Raya tangled with Gabriel to hand Wolves a late equaliser. Frustrations were clear when Gabriel Jesus sparked a post-match brawl for an angry response to celebrations from Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera.

The narrative after the final whistle has been the extension of an invitation back into the Premier League title race for Manchester City. While it is true that the race is now in the hands of Pep Guardiola’s side, Arsenal still retain just as much control over their own destiny.

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Arsenal’s Next Five Premier League Games Compared to Man City

Arsenal (58 points)	Man City (53 points)
Tottenham (A) – Feb. 22	Newcastle (H) – Feb. 21
Chelsea (H) – March 1	Leeds (A) – Feb. 28
Brighton (A) – March 4	Nott’m Forest (H) – March 4
Everton (H) – March 15	West Ham (A) - March 14
Bournemouth (H) – April 11	Chelsea (A) – April 11

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Even if City win their game in hand, Arsenal could still sit two points clear, with all eyes on the meeting between the two teams that is currently slated for April 18.

Both teams know that they can guarantee their place as champions if they win each of their remaining games, but the reality is Arsenal still have that parachute. A slender lead over City means they can afford to draw that game and keep their advantage at the top of the standings.

The pressure is still on City, and Arsenal must remember that. The Gunners are not chasing, but leading. They simply have to do their jobs and continue fighting their way to three points every week, all while knowing they do not even have to beat their closest competitors to get their hands on the title.

Having been in this situation before, the test of Arsenal’s mentality has never been sterner. The pressure need not be as high as it currently is, and Arteta needs to remind his squad of that fact soon.

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