When it was put to him in a recent interview that Arsenal are the defending Premier League champions, Mikel Arteta interjected.
“Attacking another Premier League,” came the correction. “That’s where we’re going.”
That is the ambition but it is easier said than done, as a glance through Arsenal’s history books confirms.
Since winning the First Division in the 1934-35 season to make it three in a row, Arsenal have claimed the top-flight title ten times. On the past nine occasions, the Gunners have failed to defend their crown. That is 92 years of history that Arteta and his players are attempting to defy.
1938-39: Finished 5th
Looking to kick on as champions, Arsenal paid a then British record fee of £14,000 to sign Bryn Jones in the summer of 1938. Jones scored on his debut but it was a largely frustrating season for the Gunners. Only Ted Drake reached double figures for goals. Having scored 77 goals as champions the previous season, Arsenal scored only 55 this time as they laboured to finish fifth.
1948-49: Finished 5th
A decade later, another season as defending champions ended with the club having to settle for fifth. The season really derailed between November and the New Year, when Arsenal won just one of eight matches. Portsmouth won their first-ever league title and showed Arsenal how it was done by going back-to-back a year later.
1953-54: Finished 12th
Arsenal conceded 73 goals in their 42 league matches, their worst defensive record in 36 years. Six defeats in the opening eight matches set the tone and the Gunners never recovered. They did, though, beat Blackpool to win the Charity Shield.
1971-72: Finished 5th
After a double-winning campaign, Arsenal's preparations were disrupted by the departure of key coach Don Howe. The club made a slow start to the season, leading to the signing of Alan Ball from Everton for a then-Football League record fee of £200,000. Form picked up but the team finished fifth and six points off the pace. In the club's first ever season in the European Cup, they lost to Ajax in the quarter-finals.
1989-90: Finished 4th
The Gunners were champions again after that extraordinary win over Liverpool at Anfield to snatch the title on the final day. Arsenal were top of the table in November but once again defending the title proved to be something they struggled with. Seven matches without an away win between December and March saw them fall off the pace and finish fourth, 17 points off Liverpool.
1991-92: Finished 4th
Arsenal broke their transfer record to sign Ian Wright for £2.5million in September 1991. He scored 26 goals in all competitions and the Gunners finished as comfortably the top scorers in the First Division. However, the defence was far less solid. Even a 16-match unbeaten run to finish the season was not enough to get in the mix for the title in the closing weeks of the campaign.
1998-99: Finished 2nd
Could Arsene Wenger end the club's curse as defending champions? No, but it was Arsenal's best effort since the Second World War. It could have been much more. Between December and May, Arsenal were unbeaten and won 15 of 19 matches. They were top of the table in the final weeks of the season, but defeat away to Leeds in the penultimate match set the stage for Manchester United to snatch the title by a point. Sir Alex Ferguson's side also beat Arsenal in an FA Cup semi-final replay on their way to the Treble.
2002-03: Finished 2nd
Arsenal became the first side in 20 years to defend the FA Cup but they could not do so with the Premier League. Patrick Vieira was made captain after Tony Adams' retirement and Arsenal started the season well, sitting top at the turn of the year. They were eight points clear at one stage in early March, but three draws in four matches in April - including when 2-0 up over Bolton - proved costly. Arsenal beat Southampton in the FA Cup to finish the season on a high, but they again exited the Champions League in the second group-stage.
2004-05: Finished 2nd
If any Arsenal side could go back-to-back with league titles, surely it was the Invincibles? Jose Mourinho said no. The unbeaten run was extended to 49 matches until a controversial defeat at Old Trafford started a streak of one victory in six matches. Arsenal scored 15 goals more than any other side but Chelsea's impenetrable defence saw them cruise to the title. Wenger’s side ended the season on a high, beating United on penalties in the FA Cup. That campaign started the long, 22-year barren spell for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta and his squad finally put a stop to that by becoming champions - now comes the challenge of ending an even longer wait.
