Arsenal are arguably the most criticised club in the Premier League right now.
Liverpool have had a poor season as defending champions, while Tottenham are on the verge of relegation. Yet, the focus from pundits has consistently been on the Gunners.
Even when Arsenal win, there are questions about their performances. When they drop points, the same voices immediately talk about pressure and whether they will ‘bottle’ it again.
Declan Rice has now revealed how the players and Mikel Arteta react to all that noise.
If you could make one pundit stop talking about Arsenal, who would you choose and why?
Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher or someone else?
Declan Rice reveals how Arsenal react internally to criticism
There has been constant talk about whether Arsenal can handle the pressure at the top of the table.
The Gunners are currently nine points clear of Manchester City, and their destiny of winning the Premier League title is in their own hands.
Arsenal don’t even have to win every game – they can just match City’s results and can even afford to lose a game or two to be crowned as champions. That’s how strong a position they are in.
Despite that, there are constant attempts to downplay their season by certain pundits, and the same people question whether they can handle the pressure.
Rice has had his say on all the noise now, and he has revealed that Arsenal players and the manager just ignore them and focus on their next game.
He said on Stan Sports FC: “We’ve played over 50 games this season. In the Premier League, there are only seven games left. So if we can stay calm in the first 31 games, I’m sure we can stay calm for the next seven.
“There’s a lot of pressure. People will talk it up and say, ‘Can Arsenal do it?’ and this and that.
“But internally here with the boys and the manager, it’s about focusing on one game at a time, keeping that confidence and belief on the training field and taking that into matches.
“We’ve been doing that very well, and long may it continue.”
🏆👀 I am feeling __% confident that Arsenal will win the Premier League title this season…
Arsenal should ignore pundits completely
Many pundits tend to push narratives that attract attention rather than reflect reality. In Arsenal’s case, the focus often feels negative regardless of the results.
That is why it is important for the players and the manager to block out that noise. Most of those opinions do not help the team and can even become a distraction.
Even Arsenal fans should stop paying attention to these pundits. They shouldn’t engage with them at all.
It is encouraging to hear that Rice and his teammates are ignoring it all. Staying focused on their own performances and taking it one game at a time is exactly the right approach.
If they continue doing that, they will give themselves the best possible chance of achieving their goals this season.
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