Mikel Arteta has declared he is "fully convinced" that Arsenal will make history this weekend by winning their first ever Champions League title. The Gunners face the formidable Paris St Germain in Budapest on Saturday evening, riding high after securing their first Premier League championship since 2004.
Unshakeable Confidence
Despite being considered underdogs by bookmakers, Arteta believes the team's recent title triumph has instilled an unbeatable confidence. "You could sense the energy, the positivity, and the confidence in the players and everyone around the club," the Spaniard said. "We have an amazing opportunity to write new history for our football club, and we are convinced that we're going to do it. We will fly to Budapest on Thursday fully convinced that in a few days' time we can be champions of Europe."
Manager of the Year Honor
Arteta spoke at the League Managers Association's annual awards dinner in central London on Tuesday, where he was named Premier League manager of the year. The 44-year-old acknowledged the journey from nearly men to champions. "It's been a fascinating journey for a few years. We've been knocking on the door, we've been trying, we fell short a few times, and to actually win it made it so special. You've seen the reaction from all the Arsenal supporters around the world and what it meant to all of us, so I'm extremely proud."
Arteta thanked Arsenal's decision-makers for trusting him as a managerial novice in 2019, as well as Everton boss David Moyes for bringing him to English football. He reserved special praise for his coaching team, whom he described as "instrumental." He posed with them holding the manager of the year trophy before heading home to continue preparing for PSG. "You can't do anything without the best people in the world around you, and I'm so privileged that I've got it in every department, but especially the people that work with me every single day," Arteta said. "That is challenging. They work so many hours with me. I know the level of demands that I put on them every single day. But I cannot be more grateful to them, to their families, that they stick with them through a lot of days of work. To deliver that joy and that moment to all of them, it's a really happy moment. They've been an inspiration, they've been extremely supportive with me. They made me enjoy this profession in a way that probably I could not imagine."
