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Former Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna has boldly stated that the north London club could become title challengers in the Premier League in the next two seasons.
The Gunners needed to win at the home of their local rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday (May 13) to secure qualification for next year's Champions League. However, they suffered a 3-0 defeat in the north London derby, which has blown the race for top-four wide open.
The Frenchman spoke to The Sun and expressed his satisfaction with the job Mikel Arteta has done at the Emirates. Sagna admitted that he initially had his own doubts but now has faith in the Spaniard's project. He said:
"I was worried about how Arsenal were going to perform this season but they've proven me wrong. There's clearly a process and fans need to trust the process and keep the faith. Write them off next season if you want but I'm sure in two seasons' time, they'll be topping the league as champions."
The Gunners are still in a good position to finish fourth as they currently occupy the spot and have a slender one-point advantage over Antonio Conte's men. Sagna highlighted the Gunners' performance against Manchester City at the Emirates as an indicator of the true potential of the squad.
Sagna said:
"If you look at how they played against ManchesterCity at the Emirates, they outplayed them. Not many teams can do that, and to be able to outplay them, you have to have a lot of confidence; a lot of quality. I didn't see any others play this way against City this season. Even Liverpool didn't take it to them like this so there are promising signs for the future."
Pep Guardiola's side visited the Emirates on January 1 in what was a thrilling fixture. The home side took the lead in the 31st minute through Bukayo Saka and were the better side in the first half.
However, they conceded an equalizer through a penalty. The goal was followed by Gabriel Magalhaes' red card and an injury-time winner from Rodri to help City win 2-1.
Sagna suggests Arsenal boss was always manager material
Mikel Arteta took over the reins at the Emirates in December of 2019 when he was just 38 years old. Since then, the Spaniard has made many changes to the club. He has relied on the younger players in the squad while prioritizing discipline, passion and unity.
Artetadelivered the first trophy of his tenure at Arsenal just months after his appointment, in the form of the FA Cup.
The Gunners faithful have taken their time to trust the Spaniard and understand his project. However, Sagna became aware of his managerial abilities when they shared the dressing room between 2011 and 2014. The former Arsenal right-back said:
"But I've known Mikel a long time now and I know for a fact he's always been a coach. Whenever we were watching games together, he would talk to me about formations, what I was thinking and tactics. I didn't want to talk tactics but the point is I'm not surprised he's the Arsenal manager at all, management is in his DNA."
The north London club will face Newcastle United away in their next fixture (May 16) before their final clash of the season against Everton at home on May 22.
