Arsenal has collapsed into the title race and now it is only a matter of time before Liverpool is crowned champion – but Gunners – Baas Mikel Arteta wants to ensure that the coronation of the Reds is delayed
Arsenal -Baas Mikel Arteta insisted that the team wanted to ensure that Liverpool would wait another day for their title celebrations prior to their journey to Ipswich. The Gunners know that Liverpool will be champions this weekend if they beat Leicester and lose Arsenal on Sunday to the tractor boys.
The men of Arteta have been the only challengers of Liverpool this season in the title race, but have difficulty keeping pace after 13 points behind the Arne Slot side.
Arsenal will now put their focus on the Champions League after their famous quarter -final victory over Real Madrid to reach the semi -final, but that does not mean that they will not continue to fight in the Premier League.
A 1-1 draw at home in Brentford allowed Liverpool to get further ahead, but Arteta would like to wait the Reds for their crown for as long as possible.
When asked about the possibility that Liverpool became champions this weekend, he replied: “We will ensure that we win the game and that does not happen.”
Arteta emphasized the importance of not allowing the team to be dragged too much in their parties after the Real Madrid result while they switch their attention to Ipswich.
“For a short period of yes, it was a great evening,” he said. “We had a lot of family and lots of happy faces in the club, so it was a good time, but immediately you have to change it and now it is Ipswich in the Premier League.
“We can compete in every context against every team in every competition. Now the next step is consistency, do it in the Champions League at that level. Now we come to Ipswich against a really tough team and do it again.”
There is also a chance that Ipswich can be banned this weekend if they lose and the results go against them – so there are enough at stake for both teams.
Arteta likes to rotate his side for this match after their tax trip to Madrid and in the light of a handful of injury problems while preparing for the semi -final against PSG on April 29.
Jorginho is excluded from this game together with Ricardo Calafiori, while Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are all out for the season. Arteta said there was a chance that Jorginho could return for the PSG game, but remained reluctant to his condition.
“That is probably a question for the doctor,” he said at Jorginho. “It is a fairly specific and difficult matter. So I will leave that to the club to make an analysis.