Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are on cloud nine. While much of England awaited a possible collapse of the Gunners in the Premier League and a sensational comeback from Manchester City, the north London players held firm. Crowned champions of England for the 14th time in their history, the current stars of Arsenal are perhaps not as attractive a team as the Invincibles of 2004, but they can make history by winning the club’s first Champions League on May 30 against Paris Saint-Germain.
Arteta had a magical evening
It is therefore an understatement to say that Arteta and his men are jubilant after having locked down. The Spanish coach even took advantage of the media day organized by the Gunners this Thursday to confide that he had difficulty realizing that Arsenal had finally won the Premier League. “It’s incredible to hear these words, especially when you think about how far we’ve come, how many people have invested and waited so long to achieve this goal. You probably don’t realize it. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. I was supposed to be here, at the training center, to watch the match (Bournemouth-Manchester City, editor’s note) with the boys and the staff, because that’s what they wanted – but I couldn’t. I think I had to leave 20 minutes before kick-off. I couldn’t bring them the energy I wanted, and in the end it was their time to watch the game together and be themselves.”he confided, before talking about the moment he learned that Bournemouth had given his team the title.
“I came home, went out to the garden to have a barbecue and didn’t watch anything at all. I just heard noises in the living room and suddenly, magic happened. My eldest son opened the garden gate, started running towards me, hugged me and said: “We are champions, dad!” » It was magnificent. It’s a little different getting calls when you finish second and when you win the title! That’s what sport is. It’s also a great life lesson, because the margins are so thin that it can tip one way or the other. When you do, you realize how huge it is, how important it is to so many people. Everything I have seen from our supporters in different countries is so positive. It’s something I’ve probably never felt before. As a coach and as a player, it’s different. These last 48 hours have been incredible. I had so much fun and joy. It was great to experience that. »
Arsenal wants to impose its domination
Moved and still carried by the intoxication of success, Arteta then returned to the incessant criticism of the solid, but not very intoxicating, performances of his players. Reproaches that the Spaniard takes with great hindsight. “I think I already said it a few weeks ago: in our profession, we must respect all opinions. The difficulty lies in putting these opinions in their rightful place. Some can be extremely useful and help you progress, allowing you to see things from a different perspective or opening your eyes to aspects you might not have noticed otherwise. But others can be harmful, and I think we should really keep them away. Otherwise, they can affect you in a way that will reflect on the team, and you can’t let that happen. »
Champion of England, Arsenal now wants to confirm this coronation by lifting the cup with big ears and then imposing its domination in the Premier League over time. “We have had 48 hours to enjoy the success of our championship title, but tomorrow and Saturday we will prepare very seriously, because we must raise our habits and our standards to be in the best possible conditions in order to play the match on Sunday. We will have a short moment to lift the trophy and share this moment with the people around us, then we will have six days to write a new page in the history of this club. We must now show that we have the ambition, quality and consistency to achieve this. This will be the next step ». Proof of their overflowing ambitions, Arteta confirmed that Arsenal purposely planned the Premier League trophy parade the day after the Champions League final. “We want to do the parade with two trophies. » PSG has been warned.
