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Arsenal have officially won the Premier League. |
Arsenal spent nearly two decades trying to rediscover themselves since their legendary unbeaten season in 2003/04. They had periods playing some of the most beautiful football in England, boasted star players, and came very close to glory on numerous occasions. But the closer they got to the top, the more Arsenal seemed to lack the mental fortitude to become true champions.
That's why three consecutive seasons finishing second behind Manchester City and Liverpool led many to believe that Mikel Arteta's Arsenal would forever remain a beautiful but incomplete team.
But this season was different. Arsenal didn't win the title through explosive performances or flashy victories. They won it through resilience, the ability to withstand pressure, and the spirit of a team that had stumbled many times before but no longer wanted to fail. That's the biggest change Arteta has made at Emirates.
Arteta isn't just building a team, he's rebuilding Arsenal.
When Arteta returned to Arsenal in late 2019, the decision was seen as a risky gamble. A manager with virtually no top-level experience was tasked with pulling Arsenal out of the chaotic period following Arsene Wenger's departure.
But Arteta never simply thought that he just needed to change tactics. The first thing the Spanish strategist did was rebuild the club's culture. He spoke with many staff members at Arsenal to understand what they thought about the team. When dissatisfied with what he received, Arteta decided to change everything from the ground up.
The image of the olive tree he brought to Emirates Stadium once made many people laugh. Arteta saw it as a symbol of Arsenal's roots and vitality, something that needed daily care to survive the storms. At the time, many thought he was turning football into a philosophy class. But looking back now, that's exactly how Arteta laid the foundation for the current team.
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Mikel Arteta has transformed Arsenal into a strong and cohesive team. |
Arteta's Arsenal wasn't built on sudden revolutions. They grew from failure, from seasons of underperforming against Man City, and from times of doubt right in their own Emirates Stadium.
The departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2021 became a crucial milestone. Arteta proved that no individual is greater than the collective. From that point on, Arsenal began to resemble a team with a clear structure rather than a collection of stars.
More importantly, the Arsenal leadership had the patience to continue placing their trust in Arteta even after three consecutive seasons finishing second. In an era of football where big clubs often change managers after just a few months of failure, that consistency makes a huge difference.
The faith was finally rewarded.
Arsenal won the championship with the resilience of a team that had previously suffered.
Interestingly, Arsenal this season isn't the team playing the most beautiful football in the Premier League. Nor are they scoring as many goals as the Arsenal teams under Wenger.
But this team knows how to win. Arsenal can now win a hard-fought 1-0 victory without feeling ashamed. They know how to overcome ugly matches, protect their lead, and survive the immense pressure of the title race.
That's what has caused Arsenal's past failures. For many years, whenever they entered a crucial stage, Arsenal would often collapse. They lacked composure and easily lost their way when pressure came. But this season, Arteta's team has reacted completely differently.
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Rice is a valuable signing for Arsenal. |
After two consecutive defeats against Man City in April, many believed Arsenal would falter again as they usually do. Instead, they bounced back with a series of clean sheets, displaying an almost unyielding, almost extreme, fighting spirit.
This is no longer the soft and fragile Arsenal we once knew. Arteta built the foundation from the defense, where a stable core for many seasons has made Arsenal an extremely difficult team to beat. Set pieces, under the guidance of Nicolas Jover, have also become a crucial weapon in helping Arsenal secure many decisive points.
But more than any tactics, Arsenal won the title thanks to the mentality of a team that no longer wanted to dwell on regrets. Declan Rice once shouted, "It's not over yet," after the defeat at the Etihad. That statement accurately reflects the spirit of Arsenal this season. They no longer crumble after the first setback.
That's a quality every Premier League champion needs. The scariest thing for the rest of England is that Arsenal haven't reached their limit yet. This squad is young, Arteta is still perfecting the system, and the Arsenal leadership has shown they don't want to stop.
After years of being ridiculed for always being the "runner-up," Arsenal finally learned the most important lesson in top-level football: to win a championship, sometimes you have to survive before you think about playing beautifully.
Source: https://znews.vn/arsenal-cuoi-cung-da-biet-cach-vo-dich-post1652710.html
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