In a drive for excellence, Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta has set the bar high for his team, asserting that near-perfection will be essential to wrest the Premier League title away from the dominant Manchester City. Fresh off a record-breaking 2023/24 season where Arsenal showcased remarkable form, the club still ended up as runners-up, two points short of City’s tally.
Arsenal concluded their last campaign triumphing over Everton, but it was ultimately inconsequential as Manchester City’s victory against West Ham sealed their Premier League win. Speaking ahead of the Gunners’ first match against Wolves today, Arteta emphasized the grueling challenge ahead to dethrone City, who have maintained a firm grip on the title for four consecutive seasons.
“Earn more points,” the Arsenal boss responded when asked what it would take to finally secure the title. “We’ll need to break more records and accumulate points beyond the 89 we achieved last season,” the Spaniard stated. Reflecting on how demanding the Premier League has become, Arteta candidly admitted, “I don’t know what perfect is but it has to be very close to the numbers that we’ve seen in recent years.”
Arsenal’s quest for Premier League glory has been ongoing since their last triumph in the 2003-04 season under Arsene Wenger when the ‘Invincibles’ famously went unbeaten. The recent history of close finishes has only sharpened the team’s hunger for victory. Arteta shared insights into the team’s mindset, revealing a collective ambition driving their efforts spurred by the near-misses of past seasons. “We had a gathering with all the club players. They were resolute, saying, ‘We’re going to be better, we’re going to do it, we want more,’” Arteta recounted.
Arteta depicted this pursuit of excellence as akin to climbing the highest mountain, stressing the necessity of collective effort. “It’s like trying to climb the highest mountain, the most difficult peak in the world, surrounded by people all aiming for the same ambition.
. We’re certainly going to try,” he declared.
During a training session at London Colney, Arsenal’s determination was palpable as players including Jorginho and Thomas Partey were seen putting in intense efforts, underscoring the resolve spoken about by their manager. The Gunners are aware that to outdo Manchester City, they must operate at an almost flawless level throughout the season.
In the transfer market, Arsenal has continued to sharpen their squad, aiming for the finest balance to meet this season’s challenges. Meanwhile, news broke from Liverpool where manager Arne Slot revealed a setback in their recruitment strategy. Slot admitted on Friday that a key transfer target, Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, chose not to join the Reds. “I’ve said many times already that our squad is really strong, and it’s not so easy to find players who can help us or improve the squad. Zubimendi was one of them to be fair, but he decided not to come,” Slot said, as Liverpool gears up for their EPL opener against Ipswich.
This turn of events is a reminder of the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of football transfers. It also highlights how clubs continuously seek to strengthen their squads to meet the rising standards of competition in the Premier League.
This detailed look at Arsenal underlines the heights Arteta and his squad aim to reach, acknowledging the scale of the challenge posed by an ever-dominant Manchester City. Arsenal’s campaign kicks off against Wolves, and all eyes will be on the team to see if this season will finally mark the end of their title drought since the early 2000s.
As we move closer to understanding whether Arsenal can indeed break Manchester City’s stronghold, one thing is clear: Arteta and his men are not just hoping to climb a mountain; they are preparing to scale its very summit.
