Clarence Seedorf urged Mikel Arteta to “keep noise out” of the Arsenal changing room, before he directly praised Viktor Gyokeres for his role this season.
Arsenal are on a hot streak currently, top of the Premier League by three points and one of only three sides to have won all three Champions League games so far. Last season, they finished runners-up in the league and were knocked out of European competition in the semi-finals.
They’re clearly taking steps in the right direction, and it’s felt this year could be their year to win at least one of the aforementioned competitions.
But speaking before they beat Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League, Seedorf told Arteta to keep that noise out.
“We want them to win now right? We want them to get to that point where they can win. I think that they are analysing things too much, and there are always these things around,” he said.
“We can [say it]. They’re analysing too much. Every year there is too much of this chat around Arsenal. For the team, the challenge for them and Arteta is to keep that noise out of the changing room.”
After the match, in which summer signing Gyokeres scored his first brace for the club – his fourth and fifth goals in total – Seedorf hailed him for getting team-mates on side despite not having the impact he might have thought after a 54-goal return for Sporting CP last term.
“I think you have created that, because strikers, everybody expects them to score.
“You didn’t score that much in this period, but all the other stuff that you’ve been doing for the team and making players better has created this reaction of them.
“The respect that you have created I think is definitely on you. So well done.”
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Seedorf also felt that fellow goalscorer Gabriel Martinelli was a handful for Atletico’s defenders.
He said: “I think they really exhausted Atletico first half.
“Atletico pushed a lot, came out again, but it was just hitting against the wall at a certain point. They didn’t know what to do anymore, and Arsenal showed that energy.
“Martinelli today was on fire.”
The aforementioned players continuing to perform throughout the season should serve Arsenal well in pursuit of silverware both in England and Europe.
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