Patrick Vieira voiced his thoughts on how Arsenal should approach the run-in.
The Gunners have lost back-to-back fixtures in the Premier League 2-1 against Bournemouth and Manchester City, coughing up a nine-point lead in the mere space of two weeks to the Citizens. Erling Haaland handled business at Turf Moor in a 1-0 win over Burnley, and although the two teams sit on 70 points after 33 games in the English top flight, City have a superior scoring record.
‘I want to remind themselves where they are’
For the Frenchman, this is not the moment to dwell on the dark times. Firm foundations have helped the team reach this level of competitiveness in the last four campaigns, and the opportunity remains to rewrite the narrative under Mikel Arteta. He is particularly looking to the contributions of Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has hit hotter form in the new year to produce the goods for the group.
"I've seen [Viktor] working hard out of possession, and he's always working hard for the team. I have seen him making the run to create that space, and for some reason, the ball didn't get there yet.
"But I think he's somebody who has more to give than what we've seen, and I like his energy, and I like his spirit when he's on the field. He's a real team player and scoring goals, he will score goals, I don't have any doubt about that.
*"I think I just want [**Arsenal**] to remind themselves where they are and why they are where they are. Meaning that they are at the top of the league, they are in the semi-final of the Champions League, and you can't reach that level with no quality, with no team spirit and with no togetherness.*
"It's about winning games, they know how to do it because they've been doing it for the last seven, eight months. When we are in the last sprint, I will say it, it's important not to forget the quality that brings them where they are today. That will help them to win. When you're going through this run, it's important not to change the habit. You keep doing what you used to do and try to enjoy family time."