William Saliba insists Arsenal must turn belief into silverware as quadruple dream stays alive

Asked directly about the possibility of winning more than one competition, the France defender did not shy away from the scale of Arsenal’s ambition.

Thu, 25 Dec, 2025 - 17:00

Nick Callow

William Saliba says Arsenal’s packed January is proof of progress, openly aiming for multiple trophies this season.

Arsenal enter the New Year still in four competitions. They face a League Cup semi-final with Chelsea, their FA Cup is set to commence shortly while they are also top of the Premier League and Champions League.

And for Saliba, the busy schedule proves Arsenal are moving in a positive direction.

“Yes, if we have a lot of games, it means we are doing a good job, so we have to keep going, and hopefully the players that are injured will be back in January to help us, and we are good, we are in every competition now, so we have to keep going.”

That mindset feels central to Arsenal’s ambitions. With nine matches scheduled in January, momentum and squad depth will be tested, but Saliba believes the experience of recent seasons has prepared them for this moment.

Asked directly about the possibility of winning more than one competition, the France defender did not shy away from the scale of the Gunners' ambition.

“Yes, of course, because we know that in every competition we play, we know we can win it. We have been close in the Premier League in the past three seasons, and last season we were in the semi-finals of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup, so we know that we can win every competition. But we have to show that on the pitch, and we have to start winning trophies now.”

That urgency is shaped by lessons learned. Arsenal have pushed Manchester City and Liverpool close in recent title races and returned to the latter stages of European football, but silverware has remained elusive.

Saliba admits that progress alone is no longer enough.

“Of course, every competition we want to win, and we now know that we are in the semi-finals, so there are three games left for us, and we have to do the job against Chelsea. It will be a big game, a big derby, so we have to keep going. We know that we are close, and we have to learn the lesson from last season.”

The Carabao Cup may be the first opportunity to turn that belief into something tangible, and Saliba is clear about its importance.

“At the end it is one trophy, and at the end of your career we count our trophies, and the Carabao Cup is one of them – and now we are in the semi-final, and of course we want to win this competition, like every competition that we play.”

Confidence within the group remains high, but Saliba insists it is being balanced with focus and reality. Arsenal sit top of the Premier League, are all but through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, and now face Chelsea over two legs with a place at Wembley on the line.

“The mood is good, but we know that we are still in December and things can happen quickly in football, so we have to stay focused and keep believing in ourselves and keep working because what matters is at the end when we are holding the trophies and not before.”

That message is echoed across Mikel Arteta’s squad, where belief is growing alongside expectation.

For Saliba, the challenge now is simple. Arsenal must match their ambition with action.