The key improvement in Arsenal midfielder Bukayo Saka this season is a sharpened competitive edge to win, his manager Mikel Arteta said on Saturday after their 3-0 home victory over Bournemouth.
Arsenal resume their quest for Premier League glory against Bournemouth this weekend knowing they have no margin for error with Manchester City hot on their heels.
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal's tense 3-2 win at bitter rivals Tottenham proved they can cope with the pressure of their "beautiful" challenge to win the Premier League.
Manchester City overcame relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Sunday to close to within one point of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has been seeking counsel from former manager Arsene Wenger as the club aims to end their 20-year wait for the Premier League title this season, Arteta said ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
Kai Havertz and Ben White scored twice as Arsenal thrashed Chelsea 5-0 on Tuesday to surge ahead in the Premier League title race and ramp up the pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City.
"We were very close, that is the reality. It's painful, but we have to learn from this. We had our moments, especially in the first half," Arteta said.
Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal paid the price for making one big mistake as Bayern Munich's 1-0 victory sent his side crashing out of the Champions League on Wednesday.
Arteta's side would have gone back to the top of the table with a victory at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners are aiming to win a first league title in 20 years.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said a 1-1 draw against Manchester City, that left three sides separated by just one point at the top of the Premier League, was "bittersweet" for the depleted Reds.
The Gunners have not reached the last 16 of the Champions League for seven years and last made it to the quarter-finals back in 2010.
Bukayo Saka scored either side of halftime as Arsenal crushed second-bottom Burnley 5-0 at Turf Moor on Saturday to go second and keep the pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta says title-chasing Arsenal have "learned a lot of things from last season" as they chase a fifth straight Premier League win against Burnley on Saturday.
Hosts Arsenal will try to narrow the five-point gap on league leader Liverpool while the visitors look to open up an eight-point lead in the Premier League title race when the teams meet for the third time in six weeks on Sunday.
Having come through the fabled academy at Barcelona, Arteta has a long-standing connection to the Camp Nou.
Arteta's side should have been in complete control of Sunday's clash after a dominant first half at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has called for an end to FA Cup replays to avoid fixture congestion ahead of his side's third-round tie at home to Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Arsenal cannot afford to repeat the performance that led to Sunday's 2-1 loss at Fulham if they want to fight for the Premier League title, manager Mikel Arteta said.