Chris Wheatley: Bukayo Saka has the potential to become a true legend. The win against Bournemouth is a defining title!

Arsenal are increasing their chances of winning the title with each passing round. We interviewed English journalist Chris Wheatley, who regularly writes about the North London club and brings you the latest news about the current squad.

Today we’re going to talk about Arsenal, but first I’d like to ask you what made you want to come back to football.london full time and what did the Nottingham job give you?

Well, it’s great to be back in football journalism. I’m an editor and football content writer at National World Group, the UK’s leading media company. My time at Nottingham has given me valuable experience of working at a historic club with an extremely ambitious owner. It’s a very special club.

And now to the charges of coach Mikel Arteta. What’s your impression of the team?

Mikel Arteta has certainly made some promising moves in the transfer market and has a team with a real purpose. I haven’t seen an Arsenal team with such a collective spirit in a long time.

Since the start of the season, the Gunners have been dominant in almost every game. In your opinion, are the signings of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksander Zinchenko and the return of William Saliba from loan the key to the kind of game transformation the team is currently showing?

The new signings and Saliba’s return have certainly added much needed quality to the Arsenal side. Gabriel Jesus was a real force before his injury, Zinchenko is solid at the back and a lot is promised from Saliba especially for the future.

Martin Odegaard is the best creative midfielder in the league and Bukayo Saka is currently the best U23 player on the European scene.

The passion that the Ukrainian international exudes in almost every game is incredible…

Zinchenko is definitely a player who brings a lot of passion to the pitch and it’s great to see him playing so well for Arsenal. He knows what it means to play for the Gunners and always gives his all.

A lot of people were convinced that Arsenal would start to lose out after the World Cup in Qatar. The losses did come, but the duels with Tottenham and an in-form Manchester United were well taken care of…

The inclusion of the World Cup in the current season raised many doubts among many football fans, but the doubters were proved wrong.

However, Jesus was injured at the World Cup and Arsenal supporters did not take it well. But Eddie Nketiah caught most by surprise at the start. He managed to score four times in the league, but hasn’t scored since his goal against Manchester United…

Jesus’ injury was a big blow to the squad, but Nketiah responded well. It’s great to see another youngster making his mark in the A-team.

It’s hard to compare them, but I think it’s clear that Jesus is Arsenal’s best striker and when fully fit, he has to play from the opening minute.

It would be hard to find a weakness in the ideal eleven at the moment. With the return of Emile Smith-Rowe and the arrival of Jorginho and Leandro Trossard, the competition has increased again. Do you expect any big names to come in this summer?

The team looks strong, but there is always room for improvement. If Arteta can bring Caicedo into the centre of midfield then it could be a smart move for the club. I believe Arsenal will go for Declan Rice this summer along with another midfielder. A couple of additions for sure.

The most important thing for Smith-Rowe will be to stay fit. It will be tough for him to get into the starting eleven, but I’m sure he will be very useful.

What has the arrival of Jorginho from rival Chelsea brought to the team?

Experience, leadership and the mentality to help Arsenal secure the league title. Arteta and Edu believe he is the perfect reinforcement to help the young players, and he has already shown what he can do with an important performance against Aston Villa.

There are a lot of players to talk about at the moment. I’d be interested to hear your opinion on Granit Xhaka’s transformation though, I find it absolutely incredible.

Xhaka’s transformation has been one of the most remarkable stories of the season so far. He just came on and shows his quality in the middle of the park. The mental strength he showed after the incident in the 2019 game against Crystal Palace is absolutely incredible.

Compared to previous seasons, Arteta has managed to stabilize the defensive back four. What did you think during the first game of the season when Ben White came on on the right side?

Ben White’s performance at the right-back position in the opening encounter was certainly very interesting. It’s great to see Arteta experimenting and trying new things with the team.

Takehiro Tomiyasu has struggled a bit with his form in recent games, which is why I think White deserves a place in the starting lineup.

And now let’s go to Saliba. In your opinion, should he have been part of France’s starting line-up for the World Cup and is he the key man in Arsenal’s defensive line-up?

Saliba is definitely a key player for Arsenal and it’s great to see him back in the team. Whether he should have started for France at the World Cup is up for debate, but personally I think it would have been too soon for him.

Regardless, it’s a boon for Arsenal to have a fresh Saliba for the second half of the season.

Martin Odegaard. A player who only cost the Gunners 30 million euros. Turns out the captain’s armband is rightfully his and he is currently having probably the best season of his career.

Odegaard has been a fantastic signing for Arsenal and it’s great to see him taking a leadership role in the team. He’s not one of the ‘natural’ leaders compared to someone like Granit Xhaka, but he has a huge influence on and off the pitch and is a great ambassador for the club.

Of course, I’ll also ask about Bukay Saku, probably the biggest fan favourite. He’s improving season by season, plus he’s set up properly mentally and is well on his way to becoming one of the club’s biggest legends.

Saka is a real fan favourite and it’s not hard to see why. He is an extremely talented player who is constantly improving and has the potential to become a true legend at Arsenal. I believe he will become one.

There have also been media mentions of comparing the current squad to that of “The Invincibles.” Can these two teams be compared at all and if so, which one do you think is better?

Comparing the current team with “The Invincibles” will always be tricky. They are two very different teams with different strengths and weaknesses, but I think the current Arsenal team is definitely capable of achieving great things.

What do you think is the biggest factor in Arteta’s charges being able to decide games in the final minutes like they did with Bournemouth?

It’s a positive sign that Arsenal are scoring so many late winning goals. They have a collective fighting spirit that shows the mentality of champions. A win against Bournemouth is a defining title.

But don’t you think Pep Guardiola’s statement puts even more pressure on the Arsenal players?

Guardiola’s statements certainly increase the pressure on the Arsenal players, but they are a resilient bunch and I think they will fight it out in a positive spirit.

Arteta himself is still only talking about the upcoming games, but that’s normal. Will he try to pull the media attention to his side to protect the players?

Arteta is always focused on the next game, but he is also aware of the media and the attention his side is getting. I think he will find a balance between keeping his players grounded and protecting them when needed.

Finally, a simple question – will the Gunners win the title this year after 19 long years?

With 12 games remaining, I have to admit they are my favourite. They have a talented squad, a great manager and a real sense of purpose. Manchester City will chase them, but I really believe this is the team that can win the title.

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