LONDON — Arsenal kept alive their dream of winning the English Premier League with the 3-0 defeat of Fulham, manager Mikel Arteta said.
“It says to us and to our dressing room that we keep the dream alive,” Arteta said according to Reuters.
“What these guys have done, not now but throughout the season, to win that many games in the circumstances that we had to do it, without so many players available at times, is remarkable.”
Arsenal rediscovered their attacking verve as they blew away Fulham with a first-half masterclass, with fit-again Bukayo Saka on song and summer signing Viktor Gyokeres delivering arguably his best performance for the Gunners.
Their season had seemed to be unravelling, with March’s League Cup final defeat to title rivals Manchester City being followed by a FA Cup quarterfinal loss to second-tier Southampton to end their pursuit of a quadruple.
Back-to-back losses in the league, the second at Manchester City, then saw Arsenal cede the advantage to their rivals and they were knocked off the top of the Premier League for the first time since October when City beat Burnley last week.
Having lost just three of 49 games in all competitions, a run of four defeats in eight prompted questions about Arsenal’s mentality and their ability to finally add to the 2020 FA Cup, their only major trophy under Arteta.
But Arsenal shrugged off recent shaky performances and the exertions of Wednesday night’s Champions League semifinal first leg at Atletico Madrid to move six points clear at the top of the league with their assured 3-0 win over Fulham.
Arsenal raced out of the blocks and took an early lead they never looked like giving up, generating a positive atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium which in turn spurred on the players, Arteta said.
“When you feel that connection with them (the fans), we are much, much better,” he said. “And I know that it has to come from us.
“It certainly came from us today but we need to do it somehow, even when the team is not giving it probably the right reasons.”
The Gunners were out of sight at the break after what Arteta described as one of their best first-half performances of the season, allowing him the luxury of resting key players before the visit of Atletico on Tuesday, taking off Saka at halftime and withdrawing Gyokeres and Declan Rice around the hour-mark.
Arteta said his side needed to harness the positivity of Saturday’s performance and take it into Tuesday’s game, with his side four – and possibly five – games from greatness.
“Use that momentum, energy, belief towards Tuesday,” he said. “We’re going to certainly need that.
“When I look at the atmosphere in the dressing room, I think it’s striking in the right direction.”
