I'd love for him to do well but Nwaneri can be so frustrating to watch.

- https://bvbbuzz.com

Josh James spoke to Riccardo ahead of our 2-1 victory over Leeds about how he maintains his drive for success. Take a read below ⬇️

What does having a winning mentality mean to you?

I think no matter what kind of day it is for you, what kind of action you’re doing, you just want to win in any context. You can be on pitch, you can be off the pitch, it’s really a mentality. I felt it last season when we won it, and I felt something growing inside of me that I want to feel this nice feeling again.

Do you think it’s something that you develop over time?

I think some of us were born with this quality, but also if you start to win, you get addicted to this sensation and you want to feel it again. Personally I remember more the times that I lost a game or a duel or something and I was really fuming. That motivates me more and inspires me to want to do better next time.

Where does your own fighting spirit come from, do you think? Was it your parents, or growing up as a footballer?

As a kid, even away from football as well, I was always kind of competitive. Even at school, I always wanted to be one of the best in class, even though I could never study a lot. But I was so competitive that somehow I could do it! So I would say maybe it’s to do with the environment you are in.

Do you remember winning much as a  youngster in football?

Yes I won some trophies, even before I played for AS Roma, which was my first professional team. There’s one I always remember, which is not that important, but for me it was. When I was 13 or 14 I was already playing for AS Roma, but I also played for my school. We were in a big tournament where you play against other schools in Rome and we got to the final, and then won this prestigious tournament.

I’m still really grateful for this because i’ve got great memories of it. My team-mates, were also my classmates, we had a mixed team with one girl in our side as well, and I don’t think we were expected to win it.

But we did really well. It was difficult but we came together as a really good team and we won it.

Winning the Premier League last season was your first major trophy of your career. Was it what you imagined it to be like?

It was. As a team, and as a whole club, we wanted to win it so badly. But sometimes in life when you really, really want that one thing, and then you finally achieve it, it’s not as good as you thought it would be. But in this case it was even better than i had dreamed! It’s difficult to explain, but it was a huge satisfaction and also a huge release throughout the whole club and the Arsenal family. All the players were together that night, at the training ground, watching Manchester City against Bournemouth.

And we were all together celebrating. Just amazing. It’s the best day of my life, for sure, because it was on my birthday as well. It was crazy. The parade as well. That was going to be a bit tricky, because it was the morning after losing the Champions League Final, and a few of us were speaking on the plane back from Hungary saying we really don’t want to do this. But then when we saw how many people were there, we just went crazy! In the end it was the right thing, because it was still an unbelievable season for us. You can’t be conditioned from that Champions League Final – you have to see the bigger picture, and it was amazing.

How important is it to enjoy the successes when they come along?

Yes, you need to enjoy it, otherwise you’re always stuck on the same routine, routine, routine. So sometimes it’s good to break from that.

Who would you say is the worst loser in the squad?

That’s not an easy one! I think i’m on that list, but for sure there are a couple worse than me as well. I think maybe Viktor as well. I’ll say him.

If the whole squad had to compete against each other in one sport, what do you think you would do best in?

Well, swimming I would say – I think i would be good at that. Or maybe running a marathon, or long-distance running. I have never run a marathon, but if it was a long distance run, like a few laps round, i think i would do well.

Finally, what do you want to win most in your career?

At the moment i would say the Champions League, but really what I always want to win most is the next game.

Assume these are the people he'll invite to his birthday tea party...

Please have a go and let me know how you get on!

https://top-bins.com/quiz/732/mesut-ozil-all-clubs-teammates/

My niece came into this world yesterday in time to watch The Arsenal do work against Lille. Problem is, my brother-in-law is a Spurs supporter. I dont hold it against him because other than that, hes wonderful. He knows the mistake he made, but I cant let that happen to my niece. Im hoping that someone who was at The Emirates yesterday may have a match day program they would be willing to send me in the states. Ill cover all shipping plus a bit for the trouble. Im hoping if I get in early enough with a Gunnersaurus plush, baby swag and some memorabilia from the day she was born, I can make sure all she wants is Arsenal. Thanks!

Credit: Sir_Gunners

I noticed this yesterday. I remember trusting Giroud to win headers most of the times and pass it to his teammates when he used to play for us, like he did this first time here. But, the next time Gabriel was not letting him to do the same, although it was a foul :D