Image credit: Getty Images / Arsenal FC
It’s about winning the league now
Mikel Arteta may be many things: meticulous, ambitious, emotionally invested, but above all, he is a lucky manager. And this weekend has proven it yet again. With every major title contender slipping up, Arsenal were handed a golden opportunity, and they capitalised ruthlessly by destroying Spurs in one of the most dominant North London derby wins in recent memory. It was a statement win, a performance soaked in intensity and precision. But beyond the celebrations lies a clearer, harsher reality: Arsenal now control its own destiny. No more excuses. No more near-misses.
The summer transfer window was built around eliminating the narrative that Arsenal lacked depth. The club strengthened in the right areas, invested heavily, and added genuine quality that should allow Arteta to rotate without fear. This squad is no longer the young, raw, developmental project of three years ago. It is a mature, balanced, technically elite group that has already proven it can compete with the best. And with rivals dropping points at key moments, the league is more open than it has ever been under Arteta’s tenure.
Which is precisely why the pressure has never been greater.
Last season’s collapse still lingers in the memory; the slow bleed of points, the shaky performances when it mattered, the agonising sense that Arsenal were simply keeping the top spot warm for someone else. To many fans, it felt like déjà vu, and there is a growing fear that history may repeat itself again. If Arsenal once again crumble in the final stretch, the narrative cannot continue to be pinned on youth, injuries, inexperience, or squad limitations. Those excuses expired the moment Arsenal spent big, reinforced major positions, and declared themselves a team ready to win now.
This season is the clearest pathway Arteta will ever have to secure the Premier League title. Manchester City look vulnerable, Liverpool is transitioning, and other challengers lack consistency. Arsenal, in contrast, has stability, squad harmony, tactical identity, and elite-level football, all the ingredients needed for a champion. If they fail to convert this opportunity, the responsibility falls squarely on the manager.
Arteta has brought Arsenal far, no doubt. He reconnected the fanbase, restored pride, reshaped the mentality of the squad, and elevated the club back into genuine contention. But football is a results business, and patience has a lifespan. If the season ends in another near miss, it becomes impossible to keep pretending that Arsenal are always just one year away.
For the first time since Arteta’s appointment, the expectation is not improvement; it is about triumph. Arsenal cannot afford to be the nearly-men of English football again. And if Arteta cannot deliver the title with this squad and these conditions, it may indeed be time for the club to choose a different direction.
