'Staying humble!' - Bukayo Saka echoes Erling Haaland's warning as Arsenal star reveals secrets behind quadruple charge

With Arsenal still alive in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Sunday's final at Wembley, the noise around the club has reached fever pitch. Saka's response to it all? Tune it out.

Speaking to club legend Paul Merson ahead of the match, he said: "I think we've become good at blocking outside noise, because the last few years, whether we've won or not, people have had a lot to say, especially about Arsenal, about how we play, set pieces, etc. So it's numb to us now. We just want to get the job done. We haven't achieved anything yet. We're close, but we haven't done it yet. So we're just staying humble, staying grounded. We're letting people speak and taking it game by game starting Sunday. Let's go for it."

Saka's explanation for why this Arsenal side feels different to the ones that finished second three years running was simple. He added: "Trust me, we have that memory. We finished second three times in a row, everyone knows that. But for us, I just feel this year we have such a strong belief that we can do it. We have the quality, we have a great squad. I think that mix is what's making me believe."

After a shaky February, Arsenal have found their rhythm again. A nine-point lead at the top, wins in Europe and the FA Cup, and a League Cup final against the very side that has denied them the title three times over. The players, according to Saka, are handling the pressure just fine: "The lads are chill, but obviously at the same time it's the run-in. It's the most important part of the season where trophies are won. It's big games, there's more on the line, but I feel like everyone's dealing with it well."

For Saka, the League Cup final is not just another game. The 24-year-old put pen to paper on a new long-term contract at the club earlier this month, a commitment that makes Sunday's outing feel even more special. "It would mean everything to me. It would be another dream ticked off for myself. When I signed my contract the other day, I said obviously I wanted to win everything with this club. That would be one step closer to doing that. By God's grace, we'll do it." 

Sunday's match goes beyond the trophy itself. It is the first time in 66 years that the sides sitting first and second in the Premier League have met in a League Cup final, and the occasion comes loaded with the added subplot of Arteta facing the manager who shaped him. Guardiola's influence runs through everything Arsenal do, and yet it is that same Guardiola who has stood between them and the title three times in a row.

For Saka, beating City on Sunday would mean more than just a piece of silverware. The question of whether this Arsenal side can actually finish the job has lingered for three seasons. Sunday is the first real chance to start answering it.