For Mikel Arteta, dwelling on pain isn’t an option. “Not now,” he stated when asked about feeling emotionally drained after Arsenal’s recent Champions League exit. “Perhaps it’s because there’s so much to achieve and improve, and that’s what motivates me daily,” he shared. “If anyone sets the highest standards, it’s me.
“This is the only way I know how to operate—everyone has expectations, and I get that. We’re close to reaching our goals, and I understand the disappointment and scrutiny. That’s part of the game. In the end, only one team wins.
It’s a cycle that Arteta is becoming accustomed to. Watching his team receive Champions Honorary Security at Anfield the previous Sunday, after finishing as Premier League runner-up to Manchester City for two consecutive seasons, isn’t easy. Despite a lack of confidence in his team against Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals, Arteta admitted this season has seen “a step back” in the league.
With Champions League qualification for next season still uncertain, Arsenal has to aim for 76 points in their remaining three matches. That’s 13 points fewer than last season and eight less than the one before. They could even end up in fifth place, falling below the 69 points they managed in 2022, which led to missing Champions League qualification.
“If it doesn’t hurt, it means I don’t care about winning as much,” Arteta said, underscoring that Arsenal has found it tougher to rack up points this season. Strong performances have been inconsistent over the previous 38 games.
Injuries and poor line-ups aside, the pressing issue for Arsenal is the need to sign a new striker this summer. Arteta reacted strongly to suggestions that Gabriel Jesus should’ve prompted January reinforcements after his anterior cruciate ligament injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres seems a more realistic target compared to Newcastle’s Alexander Isak. Meanwhile, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko might wish Arteta had made a move last summer.
Kai Havertz remains the top scorer for Arsenal in the Premier League, despite not playing since January, highlighting their struggles. Arteta noted his team scored over 90 goals last season, but their current total of 64 is lower than Liverpool, City, and Newcastle, indicating an over-reliance on set pieces.
They also need another creative player to alleviate the burden on underperforming Martin Ødegaard. Arsenal has been scouting Nico Williams at Athletic Bilbao and Eberechi Eze at Crystal Palace. Resolving Jesus’ future—one of the club’s high earners—is another priority since he has now gone nine months without a league goal, before briefly hitting form before injuries limited his time.
“Very well,” Arteta replied when asked if he was looking forward to the future. “We have the players we can utilize, and that’s what we did in the Champions League semifinals, something we haven’t experienced in this club for 20 years. There’s a lot of positivity around that.”
In 2001, Arsenal didn’t finish as Premier League runner-up for three consecutive seasons, but they won double the matches the next season, paving the way for Wenger’s invincible squad in 2004.
“I know how much it hurts the players,” the Spaniard said. “Now, we need to demonstrate our fight and how much we care about the situation we’re in. That’s an essential step we still need to accomplish. The mindset is there, and we have to prove it now.”
