Arsenal: Arteta hasn’t thought about quadruple bid
A historic achievement is not his focus.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has not given any thought to his side winning the quadruple despite the Gunners being in an excellent position to challenge for an unprecedented feat.
Arteta’s men resume their push to win the Premier League title as they face Everton at home on Saturday.
Arsenal sit seven points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table, though Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand, with the two teams set to face off at the Etihad Stadium next month.
Arteta addresses quadruple talk
The same two teams meet at Wembley for the EFL Cup final next Sunday, with Arsenal also through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Arsenal needed a late penalty to draw 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, though they will be heavy favourites to progress in the return leg next Tuesday.
Yet Arteta is not focusing on the historic achievement that potentially lays before his team.
“You just have to go and talk to the dressing room to find out how much we value the position we have right now and how much we want to be in the same position at the end of the season,” Arteta told his pre-match press conference.
“And that depends on us. We have to focus on what we have to do and maintain it until the end of the season.
“Every game that you win now is a massive step towards the objective. And tomorrow, we have a very difficult one. So, yeah, we’re going to have to earn it. And if we do earn it, we’re going to be closer.
“[I’ve] Not really [thought about the quadruple]. We go from competition to competition – in seven days we play in three different competitions.
“That drags you from one to another as we try to get prepared. To make sure that we arrive in the best possible condition – it is enough.”