Abou Diaby thinks pressure could help Arsenal perform
Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby has said his team could thrive on added pressure to perform from the clubs fans.
Arsene Wenger's team has not won a trophy since 2005, when former captain Patrick Vieira lifted the FA Cup trophy after a penalty shootout against Manchester United decided the final.
But Arsenal's fans have yet to voice their disapproval at the lack of silverware, perhaps because of the club's consistency in reaching the Champions League.
Wenger's team has not finished outside the Premier League's top four since the 1995–96 season, a record that has granted them entry into European football's top competition for 15 consecutive seasons.
Diaby, who joined Arsenal from AJ Auxerre in 2005, told French monthly Onze Mondial that his club's consistency has rendered the team immune from internal criticism.
"That’s maybe what we are missing. The supporters of the club don’t put us under enormous pressure. Maybe this could be explained by the fact our record isn’t catastrophic. Sure, we haven’t won a trophy since 2005, but we’re always in the top three and because
of this the club is in the Champions League every season," Diaby said, overlooking the fact that Arsenal finished fourth in the league in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Must relax against the top teams
What has separated Arsenal from Manchester United and Chelsea since 2004, when Wenger's team won their last Premier League title, has been a tendency to underperform against their top-four rivals.
On 3 October, Arsenal suffered their fourth straight defeat to Chelsea in the league, a team Wenger only has two wins against in 15 games since 2004.
"We’ve got into this bad habit for a little while now. Unfortunately, when it comes to the big games we have trouble playing our game the way we should," Diaby explained before stressing his side's potential. "Yet, we have a good team. All the ingredients
are there for us to have lots of success. But it’s true that there’s something missing to take the next step."
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