Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has issued a rallying cry to his teammates, urging them to keep their eyes on the prize as they bid to win the Premier League title.
The Ghana international’s remarks came after the Gunners were held to a 2-2 draw by Aston Villa at the Emirate Stadium on Saturday, a result that put a spanner in the works of their title aspirations.
Mikel Arteta’s side had seemed to be cruising to victory, with goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz giving them a 2-0 cushion at halftime. However, Villa pulled one back through Youri Tielemans after the break, and Ollie Watkins capitalized on a defensive lapse by Thomas Partey to level the scores.
Speaking after the disappointing 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, Partey emphasized the importance of concentrating on their own game rather than worrying about other teams.
“You want to be at the top so you continue to look at people at the top but the main focus is always to believe in ourselves, try to do things better, focus and win our games.”
The draw against Villa has left Arsenal six points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. However, the Black Star skipper remains optimistic, urging his teammates to take it one game at a time.
“We want to be the best, chase the best teams and want to be the best team. Our mentality is to do our best and become the best. I think there a lot of teams chasing the title and we have to focus on ourselves and win our games.”
Arsenal has narrowly missed out on the Premier League title in the past two seasons, falling just short of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. This season, they’re determined to rewrite the script and claim their first Premier League crown in 15 years.
Looking to shake off their weekend blues, Arsenal will turn their attention to the Champions League, a competition where they’ve been thriving, as they prepare to host Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates Stadium.
