Mikel Arteta is hopeful that Arsenal’s easier run of fixtures and shortening injury list can reignite their title hopes over the hectic Christmas period.
Arsenal currently find themselves nine points behind early Premier League leaders Liverpool and were winless in their last four league games prior to the international break.
Injuries to key players, such as captain Martin Odegaard, have hampered Arteta’s side in the early portion of the campaign.
The Gunners also had to contend with a difficult fixture list in the opening 11 games of the season which featured tough away games against Tottenham, Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Chelsea.
And Arteta was keen to point that out when asked about his side’s position in the Premier League title race ahead of their match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
‘There is so much quality with a lot of teams but it is true that teams have had very different schedules and that is a very important thing,’ he said.
‘Teams have had various contexts and difficulties than others but after 18, 20, 25 games we will see where everybody is. Hopefully, we are going to be there.’
Arsenal can now enjoy a more benign run of games over the Christmas period, especially compared with Liverpool and City who meet at Anfield next Sunday.
And with several players returning to full fitness, Arteta has challenged his side to seize their opportunity and make up ground over the upcoming month.
‘Tomorrow and after every break and especially now we are going to get into the Christmas period, we know that there is something special in that period and you have to generate that momentum,’ he said.
‘We feel that it is the right moment now to start building that momentum. We weren’t able to do it in terms of results a bit earlier which we wanted but let’s do it now.’
The Spaniard continued: ‘Now it’s about winning. Anything that is not that just creates a different emotion and you cannot get dragged into that especially so early in the season.
‘That’s for us to control and be very analytical and very thorough on the things that we need to perform at the highest level to earn the right to win.’
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