BritishCoach Mikel Arteta hopes Arsenal can scare opponents like Arsene Wenger's undefeated team won the 2003-2004 season and aim for the first Premier League title in 20 years.
Last season, Arsenal led the Premier League 93% of the time, but lost steam in the sprint and missed the championship to Man City. This is the longest period of time that a club has been at the top of the Premier League table but could not be crowned.
This season, the "Gunners" continue to race for the championship, currently ranked second with 68 points, one point ahead of Man City and two points behind Liverpool, with eight matches left in the season.
The last time Arsenal won the Premier League was when they were crowned with an unbeaten record under legendary coach Arsene Wenger in the 2003-2004 season. At that time, Arteta was still playing for Everton and lost 0-5 when meeting the defending champions at Arsenal's old home ground, Highbury, in May 5.
Arteta wants his current Arsenal players to create a sense of fear for their opponents in every match, like Wenger's golden generation 20 years ago. “It is very difficult to feel what our opponents are feeling,” the Spanish coach said before the match against Brighton in round 32 of the Premier League. “I was in the tunnel, playing for another club and meeting Arsenal's undefeated squad. At that time, I had a feeling that tonight was going to be really difficult. Hopefully we can create a similar mentality on our opponents, because that is a very positive thing for the team."
Coach Arteta directed during Arsenal's 2-0 win over Luton Town in round 31 of the Premier League at Emirates Stadium on April 3. Photo: Reuters
Arsenal is in high form, winning nine and drawing one out of 10 matches in the Premier League in 2024. They are also scoring the most goals in the tournament with 72 goals and conceding the least with 24 goals. In terms of defense, the "Gunners" have kept 13 clean sheets, including five of the last seven matches in the tournament.
Arteta is not surprised that Arsenal has the best defense and attack in the tournament, but cannot keep the top of the table. “That speaks to the class and competitiveness in the Premier League over the past six or seven years,” the 42-year-old coach expressed. “The difference is so small. But I hope the team can maintain this statistic, and then we will have a good chance to win the championship."
The Spanish military leader also praised the defensive quality of the current team. He explained: “First of all, it's about the organization in the defensive phase, then the players want to defend well, keep clean sheets and make things difficult for their opponents. That gives us a good foundation. If you want to dominate the game and stifle your opponents, you have to have the ball and use it in the best possible way with maximum threat. If not, you have to win the ball as soon as possible and as far away from the goal as possible.”
Arteta half-joked that he had to ask his wife and children about watching Man City and Liverpool matches, and emphasized that the only way to compete for titles is to win as many as possible. “They might want to play with Legos or go out and play soccer or do something else. But I think I will watch most of Man City and Liverpool's matches, certainly with my family," he added.
Hong Duy
