It was 11:00 p.m. last night when we said goodbye in the bowels of the Emirates Stadium to Mikel Arteta whose Arsenal had just beaten Ipswich (1-0), placing second in a Premier League that dominates six points above (and one game less) the intractable Liverpool by Arne Slot.
It was not just another game for Mikel, who the day before (Thursday) had celebrated five years since his signing in 2019 for the club where he was an idol as a player. Arteta made his debut on Boxing Day that year against Bournemouth (1-1). Since then, they have won three titles (FA Cup and two Community Shields and many games (259) with a balance never before seen in Arsenal’s history (157 wins, 42 draws and 60 losses) for a winning percentage unprecedented in the club. (60.47%), above the legendary Arsène Wenger (57.98% wins in his 1,235 games coached in two decades). 15 longest-serving coach in Gunner history.
Arteta pursues the dream of the Premier League. Last year they were not far behind (two points behind a great City), adding several records to the club’s history: most wins in a League (28, the same as champion City); most goals in a Premier League (91); and higher percentage of wins (67.3%). He was manager of the month seven times. They have two consecutive second places (22-23 and 23-24) and last season they reached the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 2010 in a club that has never been continental champion (they reached the final in 2006, won by Barça) .
Therefore, despite those six points difference with Liverpool, the Premier League dream remains intact for what everyone points to as the club’s ‘future Wenger’ (he has renewed until the summer of 2027). His ancestry in this part of London is magnificent among Gunners fans, inherited from his prestige as a player for the club (2011-16) until his retirement that year to be Pep’s assistant coach at City.
His ancestry is so great that yesterday the Emirates created a tribute to Santi Cazorla (still a player for Oviedo) for his five years (2012-17) of service as a ‘Gunner’. Arteta always knew how to surround himself with a great team, such as the one he has next to him, with several Spaniards at the helm (Miguel Molina, Carlos Cuesta and Iñaki Caña). A team that, one day, aspires to win the Premier League like its teacher Arsène Wenger did three times (98, 02 and 04). This year, yes, with permission from Liverpool.