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What did you make of Arsenal's performance against Southampton?

It was tough, very tough for them, and not a good result. As everyone knows, it's important in this type of game, when you are in position for the title, to get a result. City are tracking them and looking for the opportunity to overtake Arsenal.

I hope they're still stable. That is very important. They had a result which they cannot change now, so what they have to do is just look to the next game, stay strong and focus on what they have to do.

How impressed have you been with Martin Odegaard this season?

He's been brilliant. Odegaard has done so well. It's important now that he keeps driving himself and driving the others to achieve what they want this season.

I would love to see him, and some of the other players, try more from outside the box. Sometimes they have a chance to shoot, and they don't. It took so long for them to have a shot from outside the box against Southampton and, with his ability and quality, he got a goal. So, why not try more? In most games, you don't have much chance to get close to the box and get inside the box to try and score. This can be a good option for the club, to try more from outside the box. I understand that there is a lot of quality in the team, and they have the ability to go inside, but sometimes you have to try something different to surprise opponents when they don't expect it.

Where do you think he ranks among the best midfielders in the league at the moment?

He's among them, definitely. He's done well for us, and he helps the team a lot, guiding them in many games this season. The quality of his game is something fantastic.

But it's important to keep up performance. It's about the consistency to finish the season well and keep doing well until the end. The job is not finished yet. He has a lot to do. He has a lot more to grow during the season and now it's important for himself and all the other players to show up until the end. The desire, the pride they've got, being the youngest squad in the league, it's not that easy.

I'm sure at the end, he'll get his personal prize. I'm sure of that.

What have you made of Granit Xhaka's resurgence as a key player for Arsenal?

I'm very happy for him, honestly. There was a time I was thinking that maybe there's not going to be space for Xhaka anymore, both in the team and among Arsenal fans, but with hard work he has gained back the trust of everybody. He's performed so well and has been very helpful for the team, also showing up with his leadership. This is very important.

When you are more mature, you understand the value of being part of a good team, and driving everybody towards the same goals. That's what I've seen from him, scoring goals, but also showing the desire on the pitch, pushing the other players. You need this type of player, those who can sometimes be the tough guy – not a bad guy, but a tough guy – to push them.

Sometimes it's easy in football when everything is going well, when you are leading games, but it's also easy to go into your comfort zone. Granit fills this space with his attitude to push the other players. I'm so happy to see him back and gaining the trust of everybody.

How big of a miss has William Saliba been in the last few games?

It's tough. It's frustrating for him, but for the team it's a big loss. He was doing so well with Gabriel Magalhaes at the back, the partnership was working very well. [Rob] Holding is doing a great job, he's very consistent, he plays simple, he knows how to manage the position, but he's a different type of player compared to Saliba. Saliba is more physical, and the partnership with Magalhaes was working well.

At this time, it's when you need players in the squad with the ability to handle the situation. Holding is doing great to cover him and do his job. I think this is what makes the difference when you have a team, not only 11 players.

Do you think Arsenal's lack of experience in a title race is starting to show?

You can look at it that way. Of course, when you compare them, City have been in this position many times in the last few years. But it's important to say that Arsenal, in the last few years, has been a team that has had to be built in every aspect. They've had to build a real team, with everyone thinking in the same direction, and to build up things around the team to give them the support they need. The club is working in this direction.

Of course, now everybody expects them to win this season as they have done so well since the beginning, leading the league, which is not so easy. Now are the decisive moments where the pressure's on, where you need everyone to be emotionally balanced and keep the consistency in their games.

Maybe a lack of experience of being in this position keeps them insecure, but in this moment, they just have to focus from now on. We have lost important points but all we can focus on now is the next couple of games. Let's do the best we can. The result is going to be the consequence of what we do from now on. We have done great, but let's push a bit more. We can do more. We always have to force our mind to think this way. I cannot stop, I cannot think that the other team is better than me. I cannot think that, because I've never been in this position, I cannot win. This is the mindset they have to have every day in the training sessions, when they go to the games, and when they are on the field.

How confident are you heading into the game against City on Wednesday?

This is the game of the season. I'm confident. It's another game, it's another important game, as it has been since the first game of the season. It's about who wants it more. Who wants more in this game? Who is really hungry?

The possibility of City overtaking Arsenal didn't start over the last couple of games when we dropped points, it started a few weeks ago when Guardiola said: "Listen, I want to beat Arsenal." He was sending the message to his players: I want to beat Arsenal. He sent the message not just to destabilise Arsenal but also to his players to perform, to get the points and make the gap smaller. And now they are in a much more comfortable situation.

What's your prediction for the game?

Arsenal, 2-1.

How does City's involvement in three competitions affect their title run?

Honestly, I don't think that's going to interfere much. Of course, some players may be tired, but they have depth in their squad with many talented players. You can see they've changed some players in the last few games, Mahrez came in and scored three goals in their semi-final. They have the depth to change the team, but the quality remains the same.

Of course, the number of games can make the players tired, but it can also make them even more motivated, because they have a chance to win everything. Why not? It's a mindset that's going to drive them until the end.

How would you assess Arsenal's season if they don't win the title?

Well, of course, for the players, it would be very frustrating to lose the title in the last couple of games. I had that experience in my first season when were in front of Manchester United and we lost it in the last seven or eight games. I was very frustrated. But the season after, we went unbeaten.

If Arsenal don't win it, it will be frustrating for the team and for the fans, but it gives us hope that they will continue to build up a strong team to compete, to be back in the Champions League after so many years, and to keep improving for the next season. This is important.

Everybody understands that the last few years has been so tough for Arsenal. Now we see that we have a very good team, a young team that can be improved for the next three, four, five seasons or more.

It's important to make sure we finish in the best way possible. It's important they go game by game and see what happens, not to think too much about the pressure, too much about whether they're going to be champion or not, or if they are going to miss the opportunity. It's about the next step.

Who has impressed you most this season?

Saka has been great this season, and Martinelli also. Two young players, it's great to see their quality. Gabriel Magalhaes at the back, very stable. When you see the spine of the team, starting from Ramsdale at the back, Gabriel, Xhaka, Partey, and the guys up front getting the goals they need, the spine is so important.

What advice would you give to the players at this point of the season?

Don't think about the end of the season, just think game by game. Just control what they can. Some things you cannot control. Sometimes in football and in life things seem to be in your hands, but at some point, they aren’t.

It's important to keep the emotions well balanced because we cannot let ourselves lose to ourselves. When you go low in confidence, when you go low in perspective and expectation for the future, you have to just keep concentrating on the next game.

What was Arsène Wenger like to play under in a title race?

He was fantastic. Arsène had his particular way of talking to the players, always having wise words to say, but he was very simple and objective in what he wanted from us.

The manager has to have a clear mind in what  he wants to achieve for himself, for the team, and his clear vision drove us to the success we had because he knew what he could get out of each player. I know this player, I know he can give me more, let's push him, let's change something. The clear mind and vision he had was so important to find the right balance, and make the right changes when he had to.

Do you see any similarities between him and Arteta?

I think it's too early to say. Of course, Arteta's doing great. He knows Arsène, he played under him and understands how he works. I hope that he can achieve great things at the club. He has done well so far, I think everybody has to support him regardless of what happens at the end of the season. Everybody has to support him for what him and the squad has done this season. I wish him the best, and I'm sure he is going to be one of the greatest managers in the Premier League.

Are there any current Arsenal players who would have made it into the Invincibles team?

I think in every generation there are different types of players with different abilities and quality. I think we played a little bit different to what they do now, in the way the football has been played. There are some good players that would fit but it would be difficult to replace anybody in that team. This is the reality.

Who was your best teammate at Arsenal?

All of them were great, but obviously Edu, we were close to each other. Because we're Brazilian, it was very easy. He helped me a lot, he was like my big brother when I arrived at the club, guiding me in training sessions, helping me with the communication because I could not speak English. He also helped me outside the training centre when I needed some help, and that was very important for me.

I think what was great in that team, apart from the quality we had as professionals, was the quality we had as human beings. We became better professionals as we became better people. We respected each other, we were very competitive, the winning mentality was there every day in training. We could not accept it if one of our teammates didn't do their best in every session. If somebody saw that, they would not be happy and they would say something.

How good has it been to see Edu play such a key part in the club's recent resurgence?

It's amazing to see him at the club in this role. He arrived at a tough time of the club, and through hard work and his vision, as well as his knowledge of the club and their vision of future, they are finding a way to put the club where everyone wants Arsenal to be. Playing in the Champions League, fighting for titles, and I'm sure they are going to get there.

It's a hard job, but I'm happy to see him achieve so much in a short period of time, considering the whole scenario and being at a big club like Arsenal, which is not so easy. The last time we spoke, we talked about how when you are one of the main leaders of a club like Arsenal, it's like you are the captain of a transatlantic boat. When it loses direction, it's not easy to put it back in the right direction straight away. It takes a little bit of time. It's different when you are in a very small boat, you can make changes very quickly. I think they have found a way to put the club in a good direction and it's now just about improving on a daily basis.

Who was the toughest opponent you faced in your Premier League career?

Paul Scholes. He was hard to play against because he played tough, but he was also a very smart, very intelligent player. You had to be smart when you played against him.

It was great for me because when you play against tough opponents, intelligent opponents, they drive you to become a better player. You want to improve to be them, you want to improve to win against them, to win the tackles, to win the ball, to win the game.

I'm fortunate enough to have played against those great players like Scholes and Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. They helped to improve my game because I had to push myself on a daily basis to face them at the weekend.

Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo have both been linked with moves to Arsenal. Do you think they would be good signings for the club?

This is going to be a position that Arsenal will need to strengthen. Both players have been great this season. Caicedo was linked to us in the last transfer window, and it didn't happen. Let's see.

What is quite tough nowadays for most clubs in the Premier League is that the price of transfers has become something crazy. That's how it is at the moment in football, especially in the Premier League, and great players have their value. I think these are the types of players that can come in and make a difference, which is why they're so expensive.