Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal are finally ready to go the distance in the Premier League title race and he’s not shying away from the challenge.
After two seasons of near-misses, Arsenal are back with fresh ambition and a deeper squad. New arrivals like Martín Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Christian Nørgaard, and Kepa Arrizabalaga have added over £120 million in quality. And more are expected, with Viktor Gyökeres and Cristhian Mosquera reportedly close to signing.
But it’s not just about transfers. Speaking in Singapore ahead of their preseason opener against AC Milan, Arteta sounded more confident than ever. “I see the right balance in terms of maturity, experience, youth, and hunger,” he said. “All these ingredients are there.”
He also acknowledged the stiff competition. “There are six, seven, eight clubs that have the right ingredients to win,” Arteta admitted. “Only one can do it.” But when asked if he believed Arsenal could be that team, his answer was simple: “Yes I do.”
The Spaniard revealed the extent of last season’s physical struggles. “Last year the line up was done: ‘Give me five players who can finish 90 minutes,’” he said. For seven months, he had to pick fit players over form. Now, he hopes those days are over.
With better fitness and squad depth, Arteta is planning for a season where he can choose based on tactics, not survival. “Hopefully this season is going to be very different,” he added. “Now we’re going to have the capacity to decide who is in the best condition to play.”
He wants a team that can adapt mid-game. One that can shift tactics, change shape, and influence results from the bench. That’s something they lacked last season. “We want to change the game, whatever the context is we can change it immediately,” he said.
