William Saliba: Arsenal defender sets silverware target to club team-mates – ‘Start winning trophies now’

The Gunners last won a trophy in 2020, beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final during Mikel Arteta’s first season at the club – which finished behind closed doors due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

It was the 14th time Arsenal lifted the famous trophy in their history, but the past five years have seen Arteta gradually build a side capable of competing for Premier League honours once again.

The Gunners are two points clear of second-placed Manchester City after 17 games, and Saliba believes ending the club’s 22-year wait to be crowned champions of England need not be the height of Arsenal’s ambitions this season.

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“We have been close in the Premier League in the past three seasons, and last season we were in the semi-finals of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup, so we know that we can win every competition.

“But we have to show that on the pitch and we have to start winning trophies now.

“We are in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup so there are three games left for us, and we have to do the job in January against Chelsea. It will be a big game, a big derby, so we have to keep going. We know that we are close and we have to learn the lessons from last season.

“At the end of your career we count our trophies, and the Carabao Cup is one of them – and now we are in the semi-final and of course we want to win this competition, like every competition that we play.”

Arsenal host Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on Saturday – a game which saw Declan Rice sent off during a 1-1 draw last season.

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It was one of 14 occasions Arteta’s side were held in their quest to catch eventual champions Liverpool, and serves as a reminder of the slender advantage they currently hold over Man City, who are on a seven-game winning run in all competitions.

Arteta strengthened the depth of his squad during the summer, and while injuries have continued to be a feature this season, the options available to Arsenal have enabled them to absorb those losses unlike in previous campaigns.

“The mood is good but we know that we are still in December and things can happen quickly in football,” Saliba continued.

“We have to stay focused and keep believing in ourselves and keep working because what matters is at the end when we are holding the trophies and not before.

“If we have a lot of games, it means we are doing a good job so we have to keep going and hopefully the players that are injured will be back in January to help us.”

Meanwhile, forward Gabriel Martinelli described being top of the Premier League at Christmas as a “good feeling”.

Gabriel Martinelli says it is a ‘good feeling’ for Arsenal to be in their current position

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“We play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, so we know the responsibility that we have when we go to the pitch. But we need to be calm. We know the qualities that we have, we know the players that we have and we trust in ourselves.

“We trust the club and the manager as well, so we need to be calm and go game by game and try to win them. We know that we are not going to win the league just because we have some good football players. We know that we need to put our heart in and we say in Portuguese, in our boots.

“We need to do that every time we go to the pitch. We give our best, not just for us, but for the club, for the people that work here, for our families and for each other.

“We do the sessions (before the game) to praise God for everything that he’s done in our lives. We know how lucky we are and without him, we know that we wouldn’t be here.”