Bukayo Saka says the pain of Arsenal’s title blow-out last season has driven their “beautiful challenge” of going one step further this year.
But the Gunners may need to anaesthetise the crushing disappointment of another near-miss on the last day of term if Manchester City abide by their usual standards of brinkmanship.
England winger Saka has contributed the most goals (16), assists (nine) and touches in the opposition box (280) in Arsenal ’s latest climb to the Premier League summit. And they know the title race will go to the final day if they beat crisis-torn Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
But Saka insists they are relishing the white-knuckle ride instead of bottling the last twist of the rollercoaster or being frustrated by the outcome being out of their hands. He said: “You can see it in two ways: You can either view it as frustrating or as a beautiful challenge.
“Everybody knows they (City) are one of the best teams in the world and they have been on top for five years, challenging for everything, so for ourselves to be up there competing with them is good. We’e pushing them the whole way, and let’s see what happens.
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“But we are not getting frustrated - we see it as a challenge that we want to fight until the end. They have set a standard and it’s up to the rest of us to try and be better than them. The pain of last year has brought together and we are so hungry to go one step further this year - but also in future years, too.
“We are young, we are hungry, we’ve got quality and we have many more years ahead of us and we’ll have lots of experiences together. The end of last season has made us stronger, made us hungrier and the squad is a lot stronger, too.
“The new signings have had a big impact. We have been so consistent this year, not conceded many goals, only lost once in the league, so we want to continue that.”
Saka, still only 22, has hit 20 goals at home and in Europe for the first time in his career despite being the Premier League’s most-fouled player, which has led to Arsenal making an official complaint to referees trade union PGMOL to demand more protection for him.
Just for kicks: Saka is treated after being fouled (Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)Gunners legend Bob Wilson even warned Saka could be forced to retire early if he is repeatedly kicked with impunity by defenders ill-equipped to stop him by legitimate means. But Saka admitted: "I try to avoid the big tackles, so I think I'm much smarter now, as well as being more physical. It’s just the hunger to win that keeps me going — that's why I keep getting up. It's part of it.
"I feel like I'm physically much stronger than I was four or five years ago. I've got more experience now, in terms of knowing which tackles to go through and which ones to jump. If I stay on the floor, then it can disrupt the momentum we've built up, so I just try to get on with it.”
This is the fourth season in a row Saka has played more than 50 games for club and country, and after 14 years at Arsenal as man and boy, in Saturday’s matchday programme he defined the club in three words: “Family, hunger, quality.”
But City are old hands at holding their nerve on the run-in. They denied Manchester United at the death in 2012, while Liverpool ’s vast stockpile of 97 points was not enough to deny the Blue Moon rising to the top in 2019, and 92 was insufficient two years ago. Then, last season, Arsenal finished empty-handed despite spending 248 days at the top.
And unless Pep Guardiola ’s men - unbeaten in 20 league games - suffer an unfamiliar stumble at Fulham or Tottenham, or at home to West Ham on May 19, the Gunners’ season will be defined by three more cruel words: Another near miss.
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