ARSENAL Invincible Gilberto Silva has warned Mikel Arteta's stuttering title chasers: “Every match is a final now.”
The Gunners are already NINE points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after suffering injuries and three controversial red cards in their opening 11 league games.
Brazilian World Cup winner Gilberto believes his former club Arne Slot's Reds and Manchester City can still improve, but only if they show the right mentality.
Gilberto was a key member of Arsenal's last title-winning team 20 years ago, when Arsene Wenger's Invincibles went unbeaten throughout the Prem season.
And he emphasizes that it is what players have in their hearts and minds that will determine who becomes champions.
The 89-cap Selecao star said: “Arsenal have great players, they are a great team.
“But great teams don't always win titles. We've seen this before. Sometimes giving 100 percent is not enough.
“You have to have something extra to bring to the table: ten percent extra. And that extra something comes from your heart and head.
“You have to have a strong heart. You have to leave everything on the field.
“Mikel's players have shown a lot of courage, but if they want to win they have to give a little more than they have already done, because they have to play against very big competitors.
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“They have to be better than them on the field, in their minds and in their hearts – in every game.
“So every match is now a final. Every day is one to compete and not let your opponents be better than you.
Arsenal have dropped SEVEN points in the three games they have been reduced to ten men.
They drew 1–1 with Brighton after Declan Rice was sent off by Chris Kavanagh after he was adjudged to have delayed the restart, and 2–2 at Manchester City when Leandro Trossard was dismissed by Michael Oliver for the same foul.
A 2–0 defeat at Bournemouth followed after VAR Jarred Gillett's intervention led to William Saliba's yellow card being upgraded to red for denying Evanilson a scoring opportunity.
The Gunners are also severely missing skipper Martin Odegaard after he injured his ankle ligaments while playing for Norway in the Nations League in September.
He returned to the Gunners' starting line-up in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Chelsea after taking over from Gabriel Martinelli's opener.
But Arsenal have now been hit by injuries to winger Bukayo Saka, £105m midfielder Declan Rice.
Winger Saka suffered a leg injury against the Blues and Rice played with a broken toe, causing both to withdraw from Lee Carsley's England squad.
Ben White has undergone surgery for a knee problem and fellow defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also sidelined.
The Gunners next play high-flying Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Gilberto, who also won the FA Cup twice with Arsenal, added: “Red cards and injuries always affect you.
“They cause disruption. You have to change the team, change the system when there are no players available.
“Odegaard has been an important miss because he is the playmaker and captain.
“Now that he's back, I hope he can contribute like he did before. It's important not to drop stupid points as they can affect your entire season, especially if you're aiming to become champion.
“But Arsenal have to forget the points they have already lost because they are gone, you can't get them back.
“You have to take it from game to game, point by point.”
Asked what extra ingredient Wenger's incredible side had in 2003/2004, Gilberto replied: “We didn't accept loss.
That was the key to that season.
“But our squad had a number of world champions, myself, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, plus other guys who had done a great job for their national teams.”
That Invincible season also saw Arsenal reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup and Carling Cup and the quarter-finals of the Champions League, before being beaten by Manchester United, Middlesbrough and Chelsea respectively.
Gilberto added: “I don't want to compare our team with Mikel's.
“His players have real quality, but it's what extra they can add to their game that can make a difference in beating any team they face.
“Mikel is doing great. It's his team now, his players. And they believe in him. But it's about their mentality.
“They must think: 'The opposition cannot beat us in mind and heart. We are going to give everything.”
Gilberto also believes it is crucial that Arsenal win a trophy this season, even if it is just the Carabao Cup.
They host Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals next month, with City, who have won six times in the last 10, already eliminated.
And he added: “I would like Arsenal to win the Premier League, it's been too long. But yes, it is important to get some silverware.
Gilberto made 244 appearances during his six years at the club but will pull on his boots again tomorrow, alongside fellow Brazilian World Cup winner Roberto Carlos.
They will play in a 'united against suicide' charity match at Lewes FC to raise money for the Campaign Against Living Miserably.
A fan is picked from the audience to coach for ten minutes. And Gilberto said, “It's a very important project.”
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