Aaron Ramsey believes that the pressure of winning trophies is nothing new for him or Arsenal. The Wales international playmaker believes that the current Gunners squad can handle the expectations and win silverware.
Ramsey is optimistic of a successful campaign and thinks that winning the season curtain-raiser this weekend would prove a point to everyone. Arsenal defeated Chelsea 1-0 with the solitary goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain helping them lift the Community Shield.
Arsene Wenger lifted the FA Cup for the second year in succession last year. At most times last season, Arsenal looked the only side capable of giving a fight to Chelsea for the title. However, the season at the Emirates tapered down and eventually Wenger’s side ended 12 points behind eventual champions Chelsea.
Ramsey however is confident that this team can close the gap and that the Gunners can achieve big things in 2015-16.
“There’s always pressure on Arsenal to go out and win games and win trophies. It’s nothing new to us as players,” the 24-year-old said.
The North London outfit begins the new campaign with a game at home to West Ham United followed by an away trip to Crystal Palace. A slow start to the last season almost pinned the club down for quite some time which was one of the reasons why they couldn’t catch Chelsea at the end.
Ramsey believes that the early indications are good that the squad could hold its own against competition. The growing confidence in the team is something he attributes to the arrival of Petr Cech.
The experienced stopper must have been a rare sight in the Arsenal goal – for Chelsea fans. The game at Wembley was the first competitive one for Cech and he showed the glimpses of what can be expected at the Emirates.
Cech was not exactly involved in the game for long periods of the game. But, he made his presence felt with a couple of smart saves. They just highlighted Cech’s penchant for clean sheets – which could be vital in the coming season.
“It’s been a few games since we’ve lost here, so hopefully we can continue building on that,” Ramsey said.
“[Cech] is obviously a top-class goalkeeper with a lot of experience. He made a couple of good saves. Over the course of the season, hopefully he can save us a few points.
“You can sense that in this team something has clicked into place and everyone knows what they are doing, and we are heading in the right direction. We feel confident we can go and win games. Hopefully we can take that into the new season and keep everybody fit.”
Ramsey himself has an important season to look forward to. After almost making the central midfield role his own, the Wales midfielder will be looking to translate his potential to points. Every Gunner supporter knows that he hasn’t been true to his worth and if he can carry his form through the season, Ramsey could be the difference for Wenger.
Sridhar