ARSENAL Invincible Gilberto Silva has warned Mikel Arteta’s stuttering title-chasers: “Every game is a final now.”
The Gunners are already NINE points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after suffering from injuries and three controversial red cards in their first 11 league games.
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Brazilian World Cup winner Gilberto believes his former club can still overhaul Arne Slot’s Reds and Manchester City — but only if they show the right mentality.
Gilberto was a key member of Arsenal’s last title-winning team 20 years ago, when Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles went the entire Prem season unbeaten.
And he insists it is what players have in their hearts and minds that will determine who ends up as champions.
The 89-cap Selecao star said: “Arsenal have great players, they are a great team.
“But great teams do not always win titles. We have seen this before. Sometimes giving 100 per cent is not enough.
“You need to have something extra to put on the table — an extra ten per cent. And that extra comes from your heart and mind.
“You have to have a strong heart. You have to leave everything on the field.
“Mikel’s players have shown great spirit, but if they want to win they need to give a bit more than they have because they are up against very big competitors.
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“They have to be better than them on the field, in their minds and in their hearts — in every game.
“So every game is a final now. Every day is one to battle and not let your opponents be better than you.”
Arsenal have dropped SEVEN points in the three games they have been reduced to ten men.
They drew 1-1 against Brighton after Declan Rice was sent off by Chris Kavanagh after being adjudged to have delayed the restart and 2-2 at Manchester City when Leandro Trossard was dismissed by Michael Oliver for the same offence.
A 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth followed after VAR Jarred Gillett’s intervention led to William Saliba’s yellow card being upgraded to red for denying Evanilson a goal- scoring opportunity.
The Gunners have also badly missed skipper Martin Odegaard after he injured ankle ligaments playing for Norway in the Nations League in September.
He returned to the Gunners’ starting line-up in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea, laying on Gabriel Martinelli’s opener.
But Arsenal have now been hit by injuries to winger Bukayo Saka, £105million midfielder Declan Rice.
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Winger Saka picked up a leg injury against the Blues and Rice has been playing with a broken toe, so both pulled out of Lee Carsley’s England squad.
Ben White has had surgery on a knee problem and fellow defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also sidelined.
The Gunners next play on Saturday against high-flying Nottingham Forest.
Gilberto, who also won the FA Cup twice at Arsenal, added: “Red cards and injuries always affect you.
“They cause disruption. You have to change the squad, change the system if players are not available.
“Odegaard has been an important miss because he is the playmaker and captain.
“Now he has returned I am hoping he can contribute as he did before. It is important not to drop silly points because they can impact your whole season, especially if you aspire to be champions.
“But Arsenal must forget about the points they have already lost because they are gone, you cannot get them back.
“You have to go game by game, point by point.”
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Asked what extra ingredient Wenger’s incredible 2003-04 side had, Gilberto replied: “We did not accept losing.
That was key to that season.
“But our squad had some world champions, myself, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, plus other guys who had done great jobs for their national teams.”
In that Invincible season, Arsenal also reached the FA Cup and Carling Cup semi- finals and Champions League quarter-finals, before being beaten by Manchester United, Middlesbrough and Chelsea respectively.
Gilberto added: “I don’t want to compare our squad to Mikel’s.
“His players have real quality, but it’s what they can bring extra to their game that could make a difference to beat any team they face.
“Mikel is doing a great job. It’s his team now, his players. And they believe in him. But it’s about their mindset.
“They have to think: ‘The opposition cannot beat us in the mind and in the heart. We are going to give everything’.”
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Gilberto also believes it is vital Arsenal win a trophy this season — even if it’s only the Carabao Cup.
They host Crystal Palace in next month’s quarter-final with City, winners six times in the last ten, already knocked out.
And he added: “I would love Arsenal to win the Premier League, it’s been too long. But, yes, it is important to get some silverware.”
Gilberto made 244 appearances during his six years at the club, but is set to pull on his boots again tomorrow, alongside fellow Brazilian World Cup winner Roberto Carlos.
They will play in a ‘united against suicide’ charity match at Lewes FC to raise money for the Campaign Against Living Miserably.
A fan will be plucked from the crowd to coach for ten minutes. And Gilberto said: “It is a very important project.”
Arsenal and Edu resignation statement in full
Edu Gaspar has today resigned from his position as our Sporting Director.
Edu, our former player and Invincible, re-joined us in the role of Technical Director in July 2019. He progressed through the club and was promoted to Sporting Director in November 2022, where he oversaw men’s, women’s and academy football.
We thank Edu for the part he has played in our renewed football strategy and driving the club forward with the values of Arsenal in his heart.
Edu said: “This was an incredibly hard decision to make.
“Arsenal has given me the opportunity to work with so many amazing people and the chance to be a part of something so special in the club’s history. It has been a special journey and I thank Stan, Josh, Tim and Lord Harris for the support they’ve given me.
“I’ve loved working with so many great colleagues across our men’s, women’s and academy teams, especially Mikel, who has become a great friend.
“Now it is time to pursue a different challenge. Arsenal will always remain in my heart. I wish the club and its supporters only good things and all the very best.”
Our Co-Chair, Josh Kroenke, added: “We respect Edu’s decision and thank him for his immense contribution and dedication to drive the club forward.
“Everyone at the club wishes him well. We are all so fond of him and the positive energy he brings to everything and everyone.
“Change and evolution is a part of our club. We remain focused on our strategy and winning major trophies. Our succession plan will reflect this continued ambition.”
