Mikel Arteta has revealed that the pain of losing the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain is acting as "poison in my veins" as he looks to avenge Arsenal's defeat.
Arteta ended Arsenal's 22-year wait for the Premier League title in May, but their breakthrough season after three successive second-place finishes was tinged with sadness. The Gunners were beaten on penalties by PSG after a tense 1-1 draw in Budapest just 11 days after they lifted the Premier League trophy.
New contract and motivation
Arteta took over as Arsenal manager in December 2019 and has overseen an upturn in the club's fortunes. His work was recognised this week when the owners handed him a new contract until 2030 which makes him the Premier League's highest-paid manager, on nearly £20million per year.
Arsenal are focused on trying to defend their Premier League crown this season, but Arteta is clearly motivated to challenge PSG in the Champions League as well following the French giants' back-to-back titles. Asked by The Athletic whether the defeat on May 30 was akin to what Arsene Wenger called a "scar on my heart", Arteta was unequivocal.
Arteta's words on the defeat
"I still have the scar, like Arsene says. I still have that poison in my veins," he said. "It has to stay there because that's when you learn and that probably is going to be a massive driver for me and everybody."
Arteta has signed up for another four years at the helm in north London and is clearly relishing every aspect of the challenge of keeping Arsenal at the top of the game.
"Globally, with our supporters? Great," he said. "How are we going to build the next three squads? Great. How the rules of the game are going to change us, and how we're going to stay ahead of that to take advantage? Great.
"But this is going to happen if every single day we look after what we built. We make it a little bit better, like software that is upgrading and upgrading. When can it stop is infinite."
Commitment to Arsenal
His words echo those he said after signing his new contract. "It's a privilege to commit my future to the club and to continue to work with exceptional people who want the best for Arsenal," Arteta said.
"This club is unique, its character and the way it makes you feel, and I have a great sense of privilege that our journey together will continue. We have already built a special bond and created memories that will last a lifetime, and what is so exciting is that this is only the beginning of what we can achieve together."
After a three-week international break to reflect on the 3-0 defeat by Brighton, Arsenal are back in action on Saturday against Leeds. They are then in Champions League action against Lille at the Emirates Stadium, with fixtures coming thick and fast across all competitions.
