Seven years after returning to Arsenal during a difficult period for the club, Mikel Arteta is preparing to guide the team into the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. Victory on Saturday would complete a remarkable transformation and deliver the biggest European trophy in the club’s history.
Winning the Premier League title for the first time since 2004 already represented a major breakthrough for Arsenal after three consecutive second-place finishes. The club’s long-term trust in Arteta has now been rewarded with domestic success and the opportunity to crown the campaign with another major achievement.
Ahead of the final, the Spaniard stressed that Arsenal cannot stop progressing. “We have raised different standards now, and now we have to go to the next level,” he said this week as his side prepared for the decisive match.
Arteta rebuilt Arsenal with discipline and identity
Having previously worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Arteta could easily have attempted to copy his mentor’s methods. Instead, Arsenal developed a different style based on tactical balance, aggressive pressing, and defensive organisation combined with a strong collective mentality.
When Arteta arrived in 2019, he believed the club lacked direction after the difficult final years of Arsene Wenger’s era. Speaking on the Overlap podcast, he admitted he was unhappy with the atmosphere and standards he found at the time.
The rebuilding process extended beyond football tactics. Arteta changed the environment at the London Colney training base by introducing team-focused routines, shared responsibilities, and motivational messages designed to strengthen unity within the squad. One unusual addition was a black labrador named “Win,” with players taking turns caring for the dog.
Set-pieces and mentality become Arsenal strengths
Attention to detail became one of Arsenal’s defining features under Arteta. The appointment of set-piece specialist Nicolas Jover in 2021 proved especially influential, helping the team turn dead-ball situations into a major weapon.
This season Arsenal set a Premier League record for goals scored from corners, while more than a third of their total goals arrived from set-pieces. Narrow victories and improved resilience highlighted how the side evolved from regular challengers into champions.
Former Everton manager David Moyes praised that development, saying Arteta had introduced “dark arts” into Arsenal’s game because of the manager’s determination to win matches by any means necessary.
The final against PSG offers chance to make history
Despite the tactical changes and individual improvements, Arteta continues to emphasise the importance of togetherness inside the dressing room. After Arsenal defeated Atletico Madrid to reach the final, he described the squad’s unity, respect, and bond as central to their success.
The road to this point included difficult moments and setbacks, but Arsenal gradually developed confidence and belief throughout the project. Now they face PSG, one of Europe’s strongest sides and a club where Arteta once played earlier in his career.
“We have an amazing opportunity to write new history in our football club,” the Arsenal manager said before the final. After years spent rebuilding the club’s structure, mentality, and performances, Arteta stands one victory away from completing the journey.