Leandro Trossard admits Liverpool motivation as Mikel Arteta hints at Arsenal plans
Leandro Trossard has urged his Arsenal team-mates to keep believing despite seeing Liverpool close in on the Premier League title
Leandro Trossard admits Arsenal were motivated by being able to delay Liverpool the opportunity to win the Premier League in their win over Ipswich Town on Sunday. Had the Gunners lost to the struggling Tractor Boys, the Reds would have been able to win the league courtesy of beating Leicester City.
Arsenal ensured that scenario never materialised by thrashing Ipswich 4-0 at Portman Road, with Trossard scoring two of the goals. Mikel Arteta’s side now need to avoid defeat again against Crystal Palace on Wednesday to delay Liverpool’s celebrations once more.
However, the Reds only need a maximum of three points from their remaining five games to be crowned champions and can clinch the title next Sunday when they host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
But despite Liverpool being on the cusp of winning the Premier League, Trossard has urged his team-mates to 'keep believing' in the title-race.
"I think it was a great game overall,” he told Sky Sports. “We had a lot of chances and in the end scored four, so well done to everyone.
"It is important for ourselves (to prevent Liverpool having the opportunity to win the title today). We don't need to look at them (Liverpool), we just have to keep going like this and take it game by game.
"We want to win every game but we know how tough it is in the league. A good win today and we just need to keep pushing going forward.
"It is nice to be on the scoresheet again and helping the team to get a win.
"We are there for a reason, we have been doing very well in the Champions League. We have to keep believing."
Meanwhile, he told Match of the Day: "It was a good game today for all of us. To come away with four goals and a clean sheet is good for us.
"We want to show our quality every match. This was a good game for us to get the confidence again and look forward to the next game.
"We played even better in the first half when it was 11 v 11. We scored some good goals and in the end we are happy with that.
"It is important for us to keep the momentum going."
While Trossard is not waving the white flag just yet, Arsenal boss Arteta conceded after the win over Ipswich that all his side can do now is delay Liverpool’s title triumph.
Speaking to Optus Sport, the Spaniard said: "All we can do is delay that moment and from our side earn the right to finish as high as possible.”
Having previously named rotated sides against Everton and Brentford ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final first and second leg clashes with Real Madrid, Arteta reverted to a near full-strength side for the Gunners’ 4-0 thrashing of Ipswich.
But he gave little away when asked if he would rotate on Wednesday when the Gunners host Crystal Palace.
"We will have to see. Today we had to make changes,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “There were players who could not start the game and those who could not finish the game.
“It's been a big headache every week over the past nine months with the amount of issues we've had. But we are coping well."