Bacary Sagna insists his heart remains with Arsenal despite his divided loyalties and hopes the Gunners pip Manchester City to the Premier League title.
The tussle to be crowned champions of England looks set to go down to the wire after Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table was cut to six points over the weekend following their defeat to Bournemouth and City’s win over Chelsea.
But Sagna remains confident that his former teammate Arteta is the right man to get one of his former clubs over the line.
‘Mikel Arteta is the man for the situation Arsenal are in right now,’ Sagna told Ladbrokes at the launch of ‘Ladisfaction’.
‘When you see that Arsenal have finished second for the past three years, anyone who has played in the Premier League knows how difficult it is to maintain that level, and keep fighting for titles, over such a long period of time.
‘Man City, for those first couple of seasons, were out of reach, due to the depth of their squad. Arsenal have been able to build up slowly and add depth with every transfer window, and this is why they’re now in the position they’re in.
‘In previous years, if one player from the starting eleven was injured, it would have a huge impact on the team, and on results. But now, there is cover in every position, and so much quality on the bench.
‘The team is so good, and that’s down to Mikel. He started with Edu, and he built this team into what it is today, and got the club challenging again.
‘I’ve witnessed it up close, because I was travelling with the team in pre-season. I can tell you, regardless of what’s going to happen between now and the end of the season, Mikel is going to remain the manager in charge of the situation, and he’s going to have a long streak with Arsenal.
‘I’m praying for him to win the league this year, honestly. He deserves it because of the way he treats people. He treats people equally and gives people opportunities. Whether it’s on or off the pitch, he gives people the chance to bring something else to the game.
Who will win the Premier League?
‘He has a human side that not many people have. Pep (Guardiola) has a human side too, even when people are criticising him, Pep has a big heart. But Mikel is the same.’
Sagna made 213 Premier League appearances for Arsenal after he was signed by Arsene Wenger from Auxerre in the summer of 2007.
During that time he established himself as one of the Premier League’s toughest right-backs and was part of several sides that came tantalisingly close to glory.
The former France international did end his time with the Gunners by playing a part in the team that ended a nine-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup, before he moved to City on a free transfer.
‘I have a lot of love and respect for both clubs (Arsenal and Man City). Of course, I am more Arsenal orientated, because I played there for seven years,’ said Sagna, reflecting on his time at both clubs.
‘I had a strong history with Arsenal, my kids were born while I was playing there, I also lost my brother while I was playing for them and they’ve always been like a family for me and been nothing but supportive. So I’m very affectionate towards Arsenal.
‘But I also have massive respect for Man City. If I had to choose one of them to win the league this season, I might go for Arsenal, because Man City have won it so many times over the last few years, and it won’t change anything for them, for me they will still remain the best team in the world over the past five years. So, I would like to see a change, and I would like to see Arsenal finally rewarded for a lot of hard work that’s gone into the last few years.
‘Those fans have shown me a lot of love, and so I want to see them celebrating at the end of the season. And then I’ll go back to 55% Arsenal, 45% Man City!
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