Arsenal midfielder Jorginho insists they are happy to be outsiders in the Premier League title race after they thrashed Newcastle to stay on the heels of Liverpool and Manchester City.
The experienced playmaker pulled the strings as the Gunners bounced back from a midweek defeat in Europe with a 4-1 victory, their sixth consecutive top-flight win.
It lifted Arsenal back to just one point off City and two behind Liverpool, yet they remain firmly third favourites in the three-horse race, according to bookmakers.
“I like to be underdogs. Let people speak, we just need to stay humble and keep working hard in the shadows, keep pushing and keep believing,” said Jorginho.
“That is what we need to do: just keep pushing, pushing and then we will see where we are going to get. But we are on the right path.
“We need to keep the momentum going and we can do that – just working hard the way we are doing and keep believing, keep enjoying this journey together. That’s the way we need to go.”
Arsenal appeared to drop out of title contention with a run of just four points from five Premier League games during December, last year’s collapse seemingly coming early this time.
But they have roared back into contention since their winter break last month, winning all of their top-flight fixtures by an aggregate scoreline of 25-3.
“I think we were creating before but we were not finishing and now it feels that the calls are coming more,” Jorginho added.
“It’s a pleasure to see the boys scoring more and they can have fun with the team working hard as well. We are enjoying this moment and we need to just stay humble.
Arsenal have won their last six Premier League games by an aggregate 25-3
“I’m really happy, not just with my performance but with the team, because the team performed very well. It is a pleasure to be out there enjoying this moment with an incredible team.”
The title race could turn on two huge matches between the top three next month, with defending champions City visiting Liverpool on 10 March and then hosting Arsenal on 31 March.
Premier League table
PosTeamPWDLFAGDPts1Liverpool261862632538602Manchester City261853592633593Arsenal26184462233958