Arsenal’s 22-year wait for the Premier League title came to an end last season, sparking wild scenes of celebration in north London.
As thousands fans spilt out into the streets for the title parade, it was a reminder of the link between the club and its fans.
And for former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour, these scenes could provide Mikel Arteta’s squad with the perfect motivation to go again.
Ray Parlour on Arsenal’s motivation to run it back
“They said something like half a million people turned up to the parade,” Parlour tells FourFourTwo. “Which was amazing and just shows you how much that Premier League win meant to everyone.”
The Gunners ended their pre-season preparations with a convincing win over Manchester City in the Community Shield, with Arteta’s men the bookies’ favourites to be celebrating another title success next May.
If any extra motivation was needed, Parlour believes the current squad can utilise memories of the fans’ title celebrations.
“If you ask any of those players who were there, hearing those fans cheering their names, it’s the sort of thing you want to do again,” he continues.
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“You’ll be looking around at your team-mates, saying ‘Lads, come on, who enjoyed that?’ I'm sure they all did and they will want to do it again.”
Parlour adds that this buzz will have stayed with the squad all summer and if utilised correctly, can be key in ensuring Arteta’s players maintain their hunger and help them deal with the very different pressure that defending a title brings with it.
“You get back to pre-season on a high,” he adds.
“People talk about money but, ask most players and they’ll tell you, football is all about getting as many medals as you can while you’re still playing.”
If Arsenal can maintain this mentality, then Parlour will be hoping he can join in those celebrations again, come the end of the season.
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