It was a case of what could have been for Arsenal. There is obviously some disappointment there, but looking back at the season, how would you rate it?
Sagna: Honestly, I will say that this has been a seven out of ten season. They could have been the champions. I think they missed out on winning the Premier League because of the strength in depth of the squad. When Arsenal had injuries, the players that came into the team were not on the same level. They did well, but, obviously, the starting eleven that played until March was the team that could have won the league.
I think we need to give Arsenal a huge amount of credit for what they have done this season. If you look at where Arsenal were as a club a few years ago to where they are now, you can’t deny that progress has been made.
It is a shame the season finished how it did. I think they let the title slip. Whenever they faced direct confrontation with City, they lost. They dropped points in games they should have won. Sometimes, you need to give up on playing well and just focus on the points – get the result over the line.
The problem is that City took six points from them, and six points is massive. They finish the season five points behind City. If they beat them once, they would have won the title. When you consider that they dropped six points against them and also dropped six points by drawing against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton, that is an awful lot of points.
What lessons will be learned from this season?
You can’t blame the players or the coach because the levels that they have put in for the majority of the season has been magnificent. Arsenal have been playing beautiful football for most of the season. The atmosphere at The Emirates has been amazing and there is a wonderful connection between the fans and the players. It’s been magic there this season and the fans always backed their team.
The difference was the strength in depth. Manchester City had a bigger, better squad. Arsenal needed some more experienced players, I don’t mean older players, but guys that are proven in the Premier League.
They needed players that could come into the team and keep the same level. Unfortunately, they didn’t have that. I’m not blaming those players (that came in), it wasn’t their fault that they couldn’t perform at the same level – Arsenal were phenomenal until March and it would have been hard for most players coming into that team. They came in and went straight into a title race. Players that maybe had made a handful of appearances all season were then asked to step into a title race under incredible pressure – that isn’t easy.
It is easy to say that Rob Holding is not at the same level as William Saliba, but that is not fair on the player. You can’t expect a player like Holding to perform in the same way. You can’t expect Saka to perform perfectly in every match, but you can also not risk playing him because when you take him out of the team, the entire level of Arsenal drops.
With Arsenal’s key players, when you take some of them out of the team, the level drops. I don’t think Arsenal bottled winning the title, I think they needed a bigger squad and that is what Mikel will be thinking about for next season, adding more quality to his squad.
Who do you think has been Arsenal’s stand-out player or players this season – who deserves a special mention in your opinion?
Bukayo Saka. Saka was incredible this season. He has been sensational. Saka seems to be a bit tired and not fresh enough to go the extra mile, that made a difference. You can’t blame him of course. He played in so many games this season.
Arsenal announced that Bukayo Saka has signed a new contract, great news for the club. He has had a brilliant season and gets better every year – how highly do you rate him in terms of the best young players in the game?
I think he is one of the best young players in the world. To think that he came from the Arsenal academy – everyone that played a part in his development should be proud. It’s been really nice to see him making the breakthrough over the last few years.
I looked at his numbers – 14 goals and 11 assists – at the age of twenty-one. These are better numbers than Cristiano Ronaldo recorded in the Premier League at a similar age. Could the Englishman go onto to have the same type of career as the Portuguese great?
Wooah. I think it is a bit too early to be comparing Bukayo Saka with Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s achievements are unique. Ronaldo won titles with United when he was younger, so Bukayo is already late in that regard.
I am not saying that Bukayo can’t get there, but it’s very difficult to compare. We’re talking about two great players, but let’s have that conversation at the end of Saka’s career.
Mikel Arteta is someone that you know very well. When he goes away for the summer, how do you think he will be feeling?
Mikel will be feeling the same way as the fans: disappointed. He has a winning mentality, so he will not be pleased that he didn’t win the title this season. We only remember the winners, so he will make sure that Arsenal will be adding players that can have a significant impact and will be focussed on finding the right ones.
He deserves a lot of credit for what he has done at Arsenal this season.
A lot of people are saying that it’s going to be even more difficult for Arsenal to challenge for the title again next season. Do you agree with that statement?
I agree with these statements; it will be more difficult for Arsenal next season. Every year, the Premier League raises its level. The league is so competitive and next season you will see a different Chelsea, Liverpool will be stronger. It will be difficult for Arsenal to challenge for the title again.
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This interview first appeared on Lord Ping and is reproduced here with permission.
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