Calafiori Can Put Arsenal Six Clear With Fulham Win
calafiori is part of an Arsenal side that can move six points clear of Manchester City with a win over Fulham. Mikel Arteta wants his players to treat the pressure as fuel, not a burden, with four league games left and a maximum of two European matches still to come.
Arteta on Arsenal pressure
Arteta spoke ahead of Saturday's 5.30pm home match and set the tone plainly: "I tell them: love it." He added: "You want to be there? Love to be there."
That message came with a clear edge. Arsenal had led the Premier League by nine points at one stage, but a dip in form during April brought Manchester City back into the race, and the gap can now widen again if Arsenal handle Fulham.
Manchester City still in range
City are not waiting helplessly. They have two games in hand, starting against Everton on Monday night, so Arsenal's position at the top is still fragile even if the gap opens to six points on Saturday Night Football.
Arteta did not hide from the noise around the title chase. "There's only going to be one winner," he said. "The rest? Are they not good enough? Come on, if somebody believes that then there's something wrong."
Why the run-in matters
Arsenal are in the final weeks of both the Premier League season and the Champions League run-in, and the stakes are shaped by more than the current table. The club have not won the top-flight title in 22 years, and three straight second-placed finishes have kept the pressure high even before this sprint began.
Arteta also addressed the criticism that has followed the title race. "In my [playing] career I never read so much - especially from people who did not want the best for us," he said. "I'm really curious. When somebody wants the best for me and has an opinion, I open myself up and be ruthless. No pain and I gain a lot of things."
Fulham now sits between Arsenal and another chance to stretch the race. A win would not settle the title, but it would put City under immediate strain and leave Arteta's team with a stronger hand heading into the closing stretch of both competitions.
