Arsenal are finally Premier League champions after a gruelling 22-year wait – this is how Mikel Arteta eventually wore his rival down
There was something Mikel Arteta wanted to address. The Spaniard had just arrived for his post-match press conference after Arsenal had beaten Leicester 4-2 courtesy of two late goals.
There was a lingering soap opera with Pep Guardiola bubbling away which the Gunners boss was keen to put together.
Pep Guardiola had invited his former assistant to clarify comments he made in the aftermath of 10-man Arsenal’s dramatic 2-2 draw at Manchester City. John Stones and Bernardo Silva had accused their Premier League title rivals of time-wasting and Arteta hit back, claiming he had “all the information” on City.
Arteta moved to diffuse escalating tensions and outlined his respect and affection for Pep, claiming the matter had been misconstrued. Perhaps he also realised that it was going to be a long season if the touch paper was lit as early as September.
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Since then, the sheer doggedness, consistency and persistence of Arteta has chipped away at Guardiola and eventually worn him down.
That’s why it was rather fitting that on the day Guardiola stood down at the Etihad Stadium, Arteta finally got his hands on the trophy that has long eluded him. It felt like a changing of the guard.
Guardiola instructed the press on Friday not to ask him why he’s leaving. While he had nothing left to prove, he also didn’t possess the energy to continue swatting a competitor as relentless as Arteta away.
Amongst the latter’s backroom team, there was already huge emphasis on marginal gains but this time around, it was a big focus than ever following three successive second-place finishes.
Press conferences, particularly where team news was concerned, were cagey and they likely will be on Friday when Arteta is quizzed on Jurrien Timber’s fitness for the Champions League final. The 44-year-old has no interest in giving away free clues over his team selection.
One insider told football.london : “Mikel would rather the media think he’s being deceitful than give anything away.”
Back in December 2020, Arteta vowed to “destroy” the dressing room mole that leaked an alleged training ground altercation involving David Luiz and Dani Ceballos. He takes such matters very seriously. Furthermore, when the club posts training picture galleries, there have been some instances where extra players, on top of those missing through injury, are removed to create uncertainty.
It’s an area where Arteta gained an edge on Guardiola, who never shied away from revealing small parts of his line-ups in press conferences. Slowly, City began to lose their fear factor. They actually lost 15 Premier League games over the course of the past two seasons.
Arteta also championed another way to use the media to his advantage. Sources close to the Arsenal playing squad say there is widespread appreciation for the consistency in his messaging.
Whatever he said to his stars in the locker room was also reciprocated when he’d speak to the media after games. The alignment helped the squad maintain control of their emotions particularly after poor results.
These are all small parts of a wider concept. If Arteta could use different areas and aspects to his advantage just to gain an extra one or two per cent, he would do so.
Of course, there is also Nicolas Jover’s exceptional set-piece record, Arsenal also became the first side in Premier League history to neither concede a penalty nor receive a red card in a single campaign. Last term, their wretched disciplinary record wrecked their title hopes.
Then there’s Andrea Berta’s recruitment work and the club’s record-breaking summer transfer window, the development of more Hale End wonderkids in Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark, the AI-generated song, the transformation of the Emirates Stadium atmosphere, social gatherings, Win the dog.
Collectively, with one almighty push, Arteta has fired Arsenal to Premier League glory and there is still time to make it a historic Double-winning season.
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