‘We want to win’ – Saka lays down a marker for Arsenal after Carabao Cup win

Bukayo Saka says Arsenal are fully committed to winning the Premier League and Champions League titles this season.

The Gunners have narrowly missed out on Premier League glory in recent years, finishing runners-up to Manchester City in the last two campaigns.

Currently third in the table, six points behind the leaders, Arsenal remain firmly in the title race as the festive period approaches.

After ending a six-year absence from the Champions League last season, Arsenal reached the quarter-finals and Saka is eager to push the team even further this season.

“We are not afraid,” Saka told BBC Sport.

“The last two seasons we competed for the league and we were very close. We’re also back in the Champions League – we’ve got some experience there now – so we feel we’re ready to compete for every trophy.

“We really want to take the next step and try to win something.”

Reserve our place in the semi-finals 🎟️

Watch the highlights of tonight’s 3-2 win over Crystal Palace 📺 pic.twitter.com/U2gc84DuwB

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 19, 2024

Arsenal last won a major trophy in 2020, lifting the FA Cup.

Saka, who was part of that winning team, has since suffered several near misses, including two Premier League second-place finishes and two European Championship final defeats.

Reflecting on those disappointments, Saka said: “It’s terrible, I’ll be honest. It’s just extra fuel and extra motivation for me. I want to cross the line this season and try to lift the trophy, for sure.

“You work all season and you’re so close – you literally have one hand on the trophy, you’re in the final, or you’re there to win the Premier League or whatever trophy you’re competing for – and then you don’t win it. It was as if it had been done for a whole year, and there was nothing to show for it.

“I know you can be proud of the season and the evolution and the development, but that’s why more than ever we want to take the next step and win.”

At only 23 years old, Saka has become irreplaceable for both Arsenal and the English national team.

Despite being compared to legends like Cristiano Ronaldo – one of his childhood idols – Saka insists external recognition is not his focus.

“I feel like I know what I want to achieve in the game, and people will always talk whether I’m doing something or not,” he explained.

“Even if we win, people will still talk. So my mentality is just, ‘Do your thing and live your life,’ because people are going to talk regardless.”