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Arsenal sit top of the Premier League and Champions League tables as William Saliba declares the Gunners can achieve a historic Quadruple, with Chelsea awaiting in Carabao Cup semi-finals
William Saliba has boldly predicted that Arsenal could end their long wait for a trophy by clinching an unprecedented Quadruple this season. However, he emphasised: "We have to start winning trophies now."
Mikel Arteta's squad currently sit top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables, and they celebrated Christmas by advancing to the Carabao Cup semi-finals. The Gunners are set to face Chelsea in a two-legged semi-final after their FA Cup third round match against Portsmouth on January 11.
Despite leading the Premier League on Christmas Day three times in the past four years, the north London side have not won a league title since 2004. Their last piece of silverware was the 2020 FA Cup, reports the Mirror.
Yet, following another summer of significant investment, Saliba believes they're poised to break their trophy-less spell with a flood of silverware in 2026. No team has ever achieved the Quadruple before.
“We know that in every competition we play we know we can win it,” said Saliba. “We have been close in the Premier League in the past three seasons and last season we were in the semi-finals of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup so we know that we can win every competition. But we have to show that on the pitch and we have to start winning trophies now.
“The mood is good but we know that we are still in December and things can happen quickly in football so we have to stay focussed and keep believing in ourselves and keep working because what matters is at the end when we are holding the trophies and not before.”
Arsenal last clinched the League Cup in the 1992-93 season and have since reached the semi-finals three times in the past five seasons, including a 4-0 aggregate defeat to Newcastle in the previous campaign. They secured their place in the last four this time around by edging out FA Cup holders Crystal Palace 8-7 in a penalty shootout.
"Of course, every competition we want to win it, and we now know that we are in the semi-finals so there are three games left for us, and we have to do the job in January against Chelsea," said Saliba.
“It will be a big game, a big derby, so we have to keep going. We know that we are close and we have to learn the lesson from last season.
“At the end it is one trophy, and at the end of your career we count our trophies, and the Carabao Cup is one of them – and now we are in the semi-final and of course we want to win this competition, like every competition that we play.”
The Gunners will play three games a week until mid February but Saliba added: “Yes, if we have a lot of games, it means we are doing a good job so we have to keep going and hopefully the players that are injured will be back in January to help us and we are good, we are in every competition now, so we have to keep going.”
Despite benefiting from three own goals in their last three victories, which were less than convincing, Arsenal remain undeterred. Viktor Gyokeres scored a penalty at Everton following James O'Brien's reckless handball, and the Gunners had to rely on penalties to overcome Palace after the match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Ahead of Saturday's match against Brighton, Arteta said: "You have to win in different situations and contexts. We had two very difficult games, we managed to beat them. Again, the margins should have been bigger, and that's something that we have to improve on and be better at. But as well, credit to the boys that every three days they are performing at the level that they are doing."
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