Mikel Arteta has been forced to make a change. Arsenal had been frustrated after finishing runners-up for three years, and were tired of falling just short. While the rival fans continued to ridicule them, Ole Ore was once again in second place.
The Arsenal manager was at the top of the table this season and was determined to stay there. Arteta and the club’s ambition is to seize this opportunity as a period of dominance. And those who know Arteta best insist there is little time to celebrate now, as he is already focused on what he can do even better next season.
So what changed last summer? Apart from Arteta’s incredible eye for detail and behind-the-scenes improvements, there have been two big obvious changes. The club’s sporting director, Andrea Berta, had already arrived, but this was his summer. Arsenal have spent a lot of money to add depth to their squad, and most importantly, they have signed big-time striker Victor Gokeres.
And now, No. 2 Gabriel Heinze has joined the team. Arteta has known the former Manchester United and Argentina defender since their time together at Paris Saint-Germain. Heinze is fierce, a pit bull, and very demanding. There have been concerns at times in the dressing room this season that, if Arteta is intense enough, he doesn’t have an equally intense player by his side. Albert Stuifenberg, another coach Arteta trusts, is also very strict.
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But in the end, you will be judged on what you accomplish during the season. And finishing as champion for the first time in 22 years will be the ultimate revenge.
But it would be a mistake to think that everything was smooth sailing. Soccer is rare. With 61 games under their belt, the number of games to come is grueling, the practice schedule relentless, the team meetings endless, and the set-pieces hours-long. I’m exhausted.
Arteta was notable for his absence from celebrations at Arsenal’s training ground on Tuesday night. The coach returned not only to be with his family, but also to ensure his players had a good time together.
Players jumped into the pool and set-piece coach Nico Jober was among those pushed. The manager has scored 24 set-piece goals this season, leading Arsenal to become the best team in the business, and he has continued to score set-piece goals all season. It was all fun.
Arsenal fans descended on Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night to celebrate (Image: Brook Mitchell / AFP via Getty Images)
In fact, it was Berta who championed Gokeres, instructing his scouting and recruitment team to ignore the data and footwork carried out on Benjamin Sesco, as they should sign the Swedish striker from Sporting Lisbon for £64m.
Noni Madueke was also signed in a big deal for £52m. Arsenal have been keeping an eye on him for some time, liking him even before he left for Chelsea, seeing him as a player with the speed and movement to be key to opponents in a low block.
Eberechi Eze was also an important signing. But Eze is a good example of not playing unless you follow Arteta’s rules. He had a great autumn, scoring a hat-trick against Tottenham and a great performance against Bayern Munich, but was sent off at Aston Villa for failing to chase down a runner.
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It would be very unfair to simply cast Arsenal as a boring set-piece team that doesn’t play football. They had some of their best performances ahead of the Champions League, including against Bayern, and looked to be off the pressure.
The pressure almost caught up with Arsenal and could have destroyed them. At times, Arteta’s reaction to defeat was to work harder, train harder and become more intense.
The players were feeling nervous. They needed a reset after losing in the Carabao Cup final. After losing to title rivals Manchester City at Wembley, anxiety suddenly crept in. Things got even worse after Arsenal lost to City last month. The title is missing. Declan Rice was filmed on the pitch openly insisting: “It’s not over yet.”
Players gather to watch Bournemouth v Manchester City on Tuesday (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
It might have been flat in the dressing room after that. Rather, it was rebellious. They were determined to go again. Rice spoke out, Bukayo Saka was a leader and Martin Odegaard spoke about never giving up, even though actions on the pitch speak louder than words.
Obviously, Arteta gave the players two days off. They needed rest both mentally and physically. Arteta’s mindset is to always try different things, different ideas and different training. Sometimes you just need a break.
Arteta’s infamous ‘fire’ press conference, held ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting Lisbon, featured a bizarre meeting with players around an improvised fire, in which they were asked to put their fears on paper and burn them.
Another idea was for them to connect with ropes and clamber into a stream at the edge of the range to support each other. It was abandoned for safety reasons. Imagine if someone flipped their ankle…
Mikel Arteta wins first Premier League title as manager (Image: Stuart MacFarlane, Arsenal FC, via Getty Images)
Arteta has inherited a negative impact on the club since he took over in 2019. In fact, the atmosphere at the training ground was similar for Unai Emery. The club’s higher-ups feared that results would never improve in the atmosphere at London Colney. Senior players were sent off, with Arteta favoring younger, hungrier players and also stressing the importance of the fans. He is obsessed with atmosphere.
He came up with the idea, loved the “Tifo” banner, and it was the manager who helped create the “Soundtrack of the Season”, an AI-generated song that plays out the names of all the players. Arteta worked on the piece on his laptop in his office. Anything to make a difference.
Arteta is forced into a corner. He is obsessed with winning and has a single-minded personality. The club want to tie him to a new contract and are hoping he will put pen to paper.
The only time he came even remotely close to leaving was in 2023, after Arsenal missed out on the title for the first time. He publicly admitted that he had doubts about his future at the club. Paris Saint-Germain were interested in Luis Enrique even before signing him.
That’s how much Arteta pushes himself. He couldn’t stand being considered a failure. That’s why he knew he needed to change. And why we are confident he will continue to evolve to reach the top.
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