UMVA has learned that Arsenal legend David Seaman is overflowing with confidence about the team's chances in the upcoming Champions League final, and he's backing Mikel Arteta's side to edge past Paris Saint-Germain and secure a historic double this season.
The Gunners' wait for the prestigious trophy finally ended in dramatic fashion, as Manchester City's slip-up at Bournemouth handed Arsenal their first title in 22 years. The scenes at the Emirates Stadium were nothing short of euphoric, with fans descending on the stadium to soak up the moment, while Arteta's players and staff gathered at the club's training ground to party into the early hours.
Seaman, who won two Premier League titles with Arsenal, believes the team's newfound success will have a profound impact on the players, saying: "The release of pressure now will be so great that I wouldn’t be surprised if this team go on to win more and more because they've sampled it now, they know what it feels like."
According to Seaman, the fans, players, and Arteta must all take credit for Arsenal's achievement, praising the manager's unwavering positivity and the fans' unrelenting support. "The way that the manager kept on and kept positive, he kept giving the lads a lot of confidence," Seaman said. "He just kept believing, kept making his players believe."
Seaman expects Arsenal to invest heavily in the squad this summer, despite already boasting a talented group of players. "Who knows [where Arteta can take Arsenal]," he said. "He's got the backing of the club, they've shown that this season and I'm sure there will be additions coming into the squad as well."
When asked for his prediction ahead of the Champions League final, Seaman kept it simple: "It's all about winning, it's not how we play. But the old famous scoreline, '1-0 to the Arsenal', has still got a great sound to it."
Seaman also heaped praise on goalkeeper David Raya, who has had an outstanding season and won the Golden Glove award for a third successive campaign. "Definitely, once you've won something with the club then you're in there, you're in that club," Seaman said. "David has been fantastic all season, making great saves."
Seaman believes Raya stands out as Arsenal's player of the season, saying: "For me, it's between Declan Rice and David Raya… I'm going to go for David because some of the saves he's made, at a really, really important time, have been epic for the club."
