Mikel Arteta will finally lift the Premier League trophy on Sunday, ending Arsenal’s 22-year wait for the title. The Basque manager has repeatedly told those around him, “Twenty-two years. It’s far too long for a club like Arsenal.” Now, after a season of resilience and careful management, the club can celebrate its 14th league title.
Arteta’s greatest virtue this campaign has been his ability to keep the team in control during moments of crisis. There were at least four major emotional turning points when he felt compelled to intervene, always encouraging players to see their situation from a new perspective. However, a crucial moment came when a player had to help Arteta himself see things differently.
After a 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth, the squad faced exhaustion ahead of a pivotal trip to Manchester City. Arteta’s instinct was to increase training intensity, but Eberechi Eze, one of the newer and more laid-back players, approached him and said, “We can do this, but we need a bit of space.” Arteta listened: days off were increased, training sessions lightened, and in the week before clinching the title, he gave the squad three days off followed by a barbecue.
Arteta also cut out “all the noise” by turning off sports channels at the training ground, replacing them with music from the 1990s and early 2000s—the era when Arsenal last won leagues. These unseen details, he believes, made the difference between reclaiming the title and falling short.
The story is one of control and overperformance against a wealthier opponent. City’s wage bill was still £80 million more than Arsenal’s, equivalent to five Bukayo Sakas. Arteta worked with the club’s football leadership to devise advantages, focusing on set-pieces and physical robustness. Oleksandr Zinchenko was moved on for lacking size, and the summer business reflected this new approach.
Arteta’s deep thinking after previous second-place finishes has paid off. Aware of the demanding calendar, he prioritised squad depth to cope with injuries. The result is a team that, while not always expansive in attack, became the most rounded in the league—and ultimately, champions once more.
