Arsenal Menjamu Burnley demi Dekati Gelar Juara Liga Primer

Arsenal menjamu Burnley di Emirates Stadium pada Senin malam pukul 20.00 waktu setempat dalam laga krusial untuk memperbesar peluang merengkuh trofi Liga Primer Inggris musim ini.

Kemenangan atas tim tamu yang sudah dipastikan terdegradasi akan mengembalikan keunggulan lima poin Arsenal di puncak klasemen atas pesaing terdekat mereka, Manchester City.

Skuat asuhan Mikel Arteta saat ini berada dalam performa positif setelah menyapu bersih tiga kemenangan beruntun tanpa kebobolan di kompetisi domestik.

Sebaliknya, Burnley yang datang tanpa manajer permanen setelah pemecatan Scott Parker awal bulan ini baru mengemas satu kemenangan dari 27 pertandingan liga terakhir mereka.

Statistik pertemuan berpihak kepada tuan rumah karena Arsenal tercatat hanya kalah satu kali dari 19 laga terakhir melawan klub berjuluk The Clarets tersebut di Premier League.

Manajer Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, menyatakan kepuasannya terhadap stabilitas performa tim yang mampu bertahan di papan atas kompetisi dalam durasi yang panjang.

"It's been extremely demanding from the beginning, but the team has coped with that in a really fantastic way. There is no other choice. We have the opportunity, and our supporters. It's going to be on a Monday night, let's take it in a really positive way. Hopefully, we do something incredible with our supporters." ujar Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Arteta juga menambahkan bahwa konsistensi yang ditunjukkan anak asuhnya menjadi bukti nyata kualitas performa tim sepanjang musim bergulir.

"I think the fact that we've been at the top for a long time shows the level of consistency and how well the team has done. We're still there in this league, it's where we are now. More than ever, obviously, we want to finish in that position." kata Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Pelatih asal Spanyol tersebut turut mengapresiasi dukungan luar biasa dari para suporter yang dinilai mampu membangun ikatan energi kuat dengan para pemain di lapangan.

"I think all the players loved it. I think it builds an energy connection with them that we haven't experienced before. The whole preparation and the whole atmosphere showed that the level of meaning was higher, and the level of implication, desire and passion from our supporters was different as well. It really helps." tutur Mikel Arteta, Manajer Arsenal.

Sementara itu, pelatih interim Burnley, Mike Jackson, melihat pertandingan di markas pemuncak klasemen ini sebagai panggung pembuktian bagi anak asuhnya.

"You look at a game like that and the importance of it to everyone in the competition, but from our point of view, you have to look as an opportunity. One – to be involved in a game like that; two – to be excited about that as a platform to go and perform." ujar Mike Jackson, Pelatih Interim Burnley.

Jackson menegaskan bahwa pasukannya tetap menaruh rasa hormat tinggi pada kompetisi dan akan tampil tanpa beban di tengah tekanan suporter tuan rumah.

"We can't influence everything that's going on around it and all the noise about this game, but what we can do is make sure, like we did against Villa last week, that we're still taking this competition really seriously. That's what we'll do." kata Mike Jackson, Pelatih Interim Burnley.

Meskipun posisi di klasemen sudah tidak berpengaruh bagi Burnley, Jackson meminta timnya untuk tetap percaya diri saat menghadapi atmosfer Emirates Stadium.

"What we can do is we can make sure, like we did against Villa last week, that we're still taking the competition really seriously, and that's what we'll do." tutur Mike Jackson, Pelatih Interim Burnley.

Ia berharap para pemain bisa menikmati jalannya pertandingan dan memanfaatkan atmosfer stadion sebagai motivasi tambahan untuk memberikan perlawanan maksimal.

"The outcome is already decided in everyone else's eyes, but we've got to go there with some belief, have a go and thrive in that environment." ujar Mike Jackson, Pelatih Interim Burnley.

Dari sisi susunan pemain, lini belakang Arsenal dipastikan kehilangan Ben White akibat cedera lutut parah, sehingga posisinya digantikan oleh Cristhian Mosquera.

Penyerang Swedia, Viktor Gyokeres, yang telah mengemas 14 gol musim ini, disiapkan di bangku cadangan bersama Martinelli dan Gabriel Jesus untuk pertandingan ini.