Exclusive: Gilberto Silva Interview – “It’s our time now. Let’s bounce back”

AFTV’s Robbie Lyle recently sat down with Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva to discuss all things Gunners. The former Arsenal midfielder touched on Arsenal’s 2023/24 camping, who finished second in the Premier League with Manchester City winning the title by two points.

The Gunners have competed for the league title against Pep Guardiola’s side for two straight years, and Silva says that it’s great to see this Arsenal team competing after a tough few years when Mikel Arteta took charge in 2019.

“It’s great to see, you know, after a tough period of time that Arsenal had, in this transitional period from Arsene Wenger, [to Unai Emery], to Mikel Arteta now. It was a tough time and in the last two years, it seems like Arsenal has a very good group of players.

“The individuals they perform well as an individual, but as a team, you see the chemistry on that. And this is so important in a club like Arsenal because so many years back then in this transitional period was really tough. You know, it seems like we were losing that continuity of work from what people before us did. We continued and after us, it seemed like it was disappearing a little bit, but now we bounce back. We got everything back. We are stable. You see the identity of the team, which is so important.

“It’s very tough, the last season, we competed with City and missed out in the last few games That is part of the game. It shows that Arsenal have the ability to stay there in the position they are now for, I don’t know, the next five, six years to come and achieve things, win the titles. Probably last season was a little bit early for them, maybe in their minds, but I think it’s not so bad at all. Maybe this was supposed to be their year compared to last season.

“But they are advancing their project and I believe now it’s time for them… the next season. I believe the next season is going to be that season. I believe so. Because it’s like two years in a row you knock on the door. You have competed against the best team in the Premier League for the last five, six, seven years, or more. And it’s not so easy. Because they have done it. A few times in a row with this team, the same manager, many of their players are quality players. And Arsenal took time for them to be where they are at moments. But I believe in it. After the last two years of knocking on the door, and being closed.

“It’s our time now. Let’s bounce back.”