How Many Chances Will Be Too Many Chances For Mikel Arteta?
In December 2019, Arsenal confirmed the appointment of Mikel Arteta as head coach of the Gunners on a three-and-a-half-year deal. Arteta took over from Freddie Ljunberg, who handled the team temporarily following the exit of another Spaniard, Unai Emery.
The more illustrious Unai Emery was sacked in November 2019 following a string of poor results, including just one win in seven matches.
Arsenal would have had no need for Emery if Arteta had chosen to join the North London outfit a year ago, but the former Everton midfielder rejected the move because he believed he was not ready to leave Pep Guardiola’s side for such a move.
Also Read: Why Arsenal Could Win 2025-26 Premier League
Arteta Reign
The standards appeared to have dropped before Arteta’s arrival; a club used to consistent Champions League qualification and League challenge suddenly seemed content with Europa League qualifications, while fans had become disinterested with the progress of the team.
Arteta promised to restore the club’s values and culture upon taking the helm and quietly implementing the necessary changes.
Aside from installing motivational imagery and quotes from legendary manager, Arsene Wenger at the club’s training ground, Arteta also instilled a winning culture amongst squad members in training that saw a complete overhaul of training regiment ensuring a highly competitive squad that also bridged the gap between fans and players creating a stronger bond that turned the Emirates into a fortress.
Mikel Arteta’s input and influence in the team remarkably grew, and it was no surprise when he was promoted to Team Manager from Head Coach after just a year in charge.
After a five-year absence, the Gunners returned to elite football in 2022-23, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in a season that saw the team surprisingly finish second behind Manchester City after finishing fifth the previous season.
2nd Place Trophy?
Mikel Arteta is the first to admit that winning a game in the Premier League is difficult, let alone winning consecutive matches that enable a team to finish in second place.
Arsenal under Mikel Arteta have finished second in the Premier League in the last 3 seasons, a run that stretches back to 2022-2023 season. Arteta’s nearly six years in charge have seen the club win the FA Cup and two Community Shield titles, spending over £600m in the transfer windows.
Financially, the Gunners are doing superbly well, raking in money from constant Champions League participation and excellent League position, but at the detriment of legacy-defining titles like the Premier League and Champions League.
Excuse for Failure
Taking charge of the team at the age of 37, Mikel Arteta has been praised for overseeing a remarkable turnaround at Arsenal while overlooking several shortcomings within the same period.
An inability to effectively utilise the entire squad has led to burnout in the middle of a title challenge that has either led to losing grip of the top spot or failure to catch up.
The average age of the Arsenal squad in 2022-23 squad was 23.7%, representing a young group of talented players, full of energy but naive. 2024-25 season revealed a better experienced squad with an average age of 25.6%.
It is generally believed that Arsenal has a more experienced squad battered by previous seasons’ failure and a manager who is no longer 37, beefed with five and a half years of Premier League experience.
The Time is Now
The 2025-26 season will be Arteta’s sixth season in the Premier League as a manager, only behind Pep Guardiola as the oldest serving manager in the league.
In that time, Arteta has spent over £600m in the transfer market. He has won just the FA Cup and 2 Community Shields and finished Second three times in the league.
Winning the league whilst competing against Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp is no easy feat but last season Arne Slot proved it is not so difficult blazing past both Guardiola and Arteta to lift the League Title for Liverpool in his first season as a manager.
Enzo Marescas won the UEFA Conference league in his first season and then won the FIFA Club World Cup in his first season in charge of Chelsea, leaving the Arsenal fans scratching their heads in disbelief.
Even North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur grabbed the Europa League trophy in Ange Postecoglu final game in charge despite being a very bad season for Spurs.
Last Chance?
Arteta has done a remarkable job thus far. The team is competitive in all competitions, with semi-final finishes in both the Champions League and EFL Cup, plus a healthy financial standing. However, Arteta must realise the importance of bringing the important trophies to the Emirates. This will guarantee total commitment from a fan base that has become increasingly agitated over a lack of silverware at the Emirates.
The Gunners have recruited well this summer, spending over £150m. The acquisition of Victor Gyokeres is the pick of the signings as the Swede joins with a huge reputation while finally filling a position that many believe can lead the team to big trophies.
There is no more excuse, Mikel Arteta, the time is now to deliver.
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