Martin Odegaard has warned that has ‘another gear’ to find before the end of season and said the whole squad is ready to ‘push’ the leaders.

The Gunners have been the most consistent title challengers over the last few years and have competed for top spot with , ultimately losing out to Pep Guardiola’s side in each of the last two seasons. But when the reigning champions endured a blip earlier this term, it was Liverpool who capitalized rather than Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have - the same as the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign - though the previous year Arsenal amassed 50 points by the halfway stage before trailing off in the final weeks. The team has lacked that consistency so far this season, but signs suggest it is picking up and Arsenal is unbeaten in its last 13 league games.

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In the week when the Gunners secured a third-place finish in the Champions League league phase, Odegaard claims the side is ready to kick on between now and May.

“For the team, we're in a good position,” the Norwegian . “I feel like we have another gear, another step that we can take and hopefully we can hit that top form now until the end of the season. It was the same last year.

“I think when you've been so close, you get even more hungry, you get even more determination to do it, especially last year when we were there on the last day and really could feel it was that close. I feel the whole squad is ready now to push for it.”

Arsenal trails Liverpool by six points and has played a game extra as we enter February. Despite that gap, the side currently in second position looks best placed to catch Liverpool should it slip up, and Odegaard feels that, with 16 games left to play, that remains a possibility.

“There are many games to play for,” he said. “We remember last season, how we ended that season, and there was so much happening towards the end.

“We just have to stay calm, focus on ourselves, do our job and then hopefully that is enough. I have been dreaming about this since I was a young kid - to win one of the big trophies and especially the Premier League was always something special growing up so this would be the biggest dream.

“It's what we work for every day and I think it's important to stay in the moment and not look too far ahead.”

Arsenal’s unlikely title credentials will be tested further when it hosts City on Sunday, just over 24 hours after Liverpool face an in-form Bournemouth in the Premier League.