Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal should have crowned themselves Premier League champions and is urging his team to channel their disappointment into greater achievements.
For the second consecutive year, the Gunners found themselves embroiled in a title race with Manchester City, only to fall short on the final day. City maintained an impeccable run in the closing stages, winning all their games, while a home loss to Aston Villa ultimately derailed Arsenal’s ambitions.
Arteta, reflecting on his mentor Pep Guardiola’s triumph, expressed his frustration despite Arsenal’s impressive season. The Gunners matched City in wins, boasted a superior defense, and equaled them in goal difference, yet they missed the title by two points.
Accumulating 89 points, one of their highest ever in the Premier League, Arteta emphasizes that “small margins” were the deciding factor between winning and losing.
“When you are analytical and you gather all the stats over the past 11 months in the Premier League, we should have won it. That’s what the stats say, but the reality is we didn’t, so that is something that is there that we haven’t managed as well as Man City or the clubs in the past,” Arteta told ESPN.
“I think we understand where those margins are. We’ve been really consistent in the last 24 months in terms of performance and the elite levels we want to hit, but those margins are super small.
“One thing is to get to that 90 percent we actually want and actually that 10 percent, 5 percent, 1 percent is what defines success and winning major trophies. Now we have to continue doing all the right things we are doing and just nail those small margins that are going to win the tournaments. We need that pain and that hunger to achieve what we want to achieve.”
Under Arteta’s guidance, Arsenal has seen a resurgence, reaching their first Champions League quarter-final in over a decade last season. However, despite significant investments, including a record-breaking transfer for Declan Rice, they ended the season without a trophy.
City’s dominance, having just celebrated their fourth consecutive Premier League title—a historic achievement—positions them as favorites once again. Arsenal, aiming to clinch their first top-flight title since the ‘Invincible’ season two decades ago, will look to leverage their near-misses to drive future success.
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