Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal - Premier League - Source: Getty
Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal - Premier League - Source: Getty
Jurrien Timber has said that Arsenal cannot afford to make costly mistakes in their pursuit of the Premier League title. He said that they should have done better against Chelsea after scoring the winning goal.
The Gunners hosted the Blues at the Emirates in the Premier League on Sunday. The first half ended with a 1-1 scoreline. Timber then scored for the hosts in the 66th minute via a corner. Pedro Neto was sent off four minutes later after receiving a second yellow card.
However, despite having a goal and a man advantage, Arsenal appeared nervous in the final minutes. Liam Delap thought he had equalized for Chelsea, but the goal was chalked off for offside. Sharing his thoughts on it, Timber told the reporters (h/t Metro):
"You feel it, especially at the end. We stopped playing a bit [against Chelsea], which was unnecessary – especially with a man up. It’s something we need to work on, talk about as well. It happened a couple of times this season already. We put so much effort into the game, especially in the first half, and you have to go up 1-0 or 2-0, but these things happen – especially like a good team against Chelsea."
"It’s part of the game, you have to understand what happens in the moment. The energy within the players and the crowd, the anxiety. It’s something we need to address and talk about," he added.
With the win over Chelsea, Arsenal retained their five-point advantage over Manchester City atop the Premier League standings. However, the Cityzens have a game in hand.
Jurrien Timber opens up about Arsenal's Premier League title push
The Gunners have finished second in the Premier League in the last three seasons. Manchester City won the title in the first two of those seasons, while Liverpool won the title the third time. Arsenal are now leading the Cityzens in the race for the title this season, with nine games remaining for them.
However, Jurrien Timber believes there are a lot of games remaining, especially across competitions. He said:
"I heard it was nine games to go but it still feels so far off because we’re playing in Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Game by game. If we look to far ahead, it becomes a bit a bit too much."
Arsenal are still in the race for a potential quadruple this season. They will face Manchester City in the EFL Cup final and Mansfield Town in the FA Cup Fifth Round. They will also clash against Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.