Mikel Arteta must accept the pressure knowing he has to deliver the biggest trophy of the season after Arsenal were knocked out of domestic cup competitions with back-to-back defeats.
Mikel Arteta looks depressed after Arsenal’s loss to Southampton (Image: 2026 Catherine Ivill – AMA)
In 2004, Arsenal’s season appeared to be on the verge of collapse. Arsenal suffered a crushing defeat to arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final on April 3, before being ousted by Chelsea in the Champions League at Highbury three days later.
Then on Good Friday, Arsenal lost 2-1 to Liverpool, and their dreams of winning the Treble came to an end.
Thierry Henry then stepped up and put in the performance of his life, scoring a hat-trick as Arsenal won 4-2 and clinched the title. They were crowned the Invincibles after going through the entire Premier League season undefeated.
Thierry Henry’s hat-trick saved Arsenal’s season – and his name is etched into legend
Interestingly, no one talks about Arsenal “just” winning the title. They tell the story of an incredible piece of soccer history that will be unparalleled before or after.
The similarities between that week in 2004 and today are striking. Arsenal lost to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and were eliminated in the FA Cup against Southampton in their next game. His quadruple dreams have been halved, but Arsenal must brace themselves for their biggest week of the season so far.
The whole atmosphere needs to change as the Gunners prepare to face Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Four days later, on Saturday lunchtime, Arsenal face Bournemouth at the Emirates, but a win would put them 12 points clear of Manchester City, and they will face Chelsea 24 hours later.
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Arsenal’s losing streak could either mark the moment their season fell apart, or it could be a setback that propels Mikel Arteta’s side to glory.
The Invincibles season was the last time Arsenal won the title and the dressing room included big names like Henry, Patrick Vieira, Sol Campbell, Jens Lehmann and Martin Keown.
Former Arsenal defender Keown, who came on as a substitute in that day’s game against Liverpool, was one of the leaders who gave a rousing speech to the mob to inspire the victory that saved their entire season.
Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parler reflected after the game: “I’ll always remember that nightmarish week when we lost the Champions League, got eliminated in the FA Cup and then suddenly we had to beat Liverpool. We were chasing Liverpool and that’s when Thierry Henry really showed himself.”
“Everyone knew it was an important game against Liverpool. We had suffered two big blows and it could have all been over in a week. That’s the worst thing in football. When you lose, you have to try to get back to winning ways as soon as possible and you have to have someone in the dressing room to cheer the players up. You have to bounce back.”
Arsenal held a public training session on Monday with key stars returning including Declan Rice (Image: PA)
Now, the current generation must do the same. This week is a defining week for Arteta’s reign and the career of the current Arsenal team.
If they win their next two games, they can ignore the last two losses as blips on the season. That’s because no one has ever completed a quadruple and very few players have completed a treble.
This time, all that really matters to Arsenal is the title. To step over the line and prove the doubters wrong and show they have the strength and mentality to cope with the pressure on Manchester City’s necks.
They cowered in the past and were horrified when Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City suddenly appeared in their rear-view mirror.
The city is threatening to do it again. They have won the Carabao Cup and are favorites to win the FA Cup. Even if Arteta were to snatch the title from Arsenal’s hands and clinch the treble, it remains to be seen how Arteta would recover from such a blow.
The chance to break a nine-point deficit and make history in the title race will be impossible to get and will end up with nothing, which will put Arteta’s entire future in doubt.
But great managers, great people and great players like that kind of pressure. Invincibles grew on that. Now, this generation must do the same.
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