Mikel Arteta didn’t mince words after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Newcastle sealed Champions League football but left them trophyless once again.
Stepping onto the pitch at the Emirates Stadium for a heartfelt thank-you to the supporters, he laid bare his frustration: “Liverpool have a trophy—we don’t have a trophy,” he said. It’s now five years since the Gunners lifted the FA Cup in 2020, and despite a second-place finish, Arteta made it clear that progress alone won’t quell his hunger for silverware.
The season’s fine margins have been painful for Arsenal. After a robust title challenge was stalled by inconsistencies, allowing Liverpool to pull clear, they bowed out of both the Champions League and the Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage, and crashed out of the FA Cup in Round Three.
Even this final-home-game victory felt bittersweet. Arteta, who has delivered one FA Cup winner since taking charge in December 2019, took full responsibility and vowed to “give my life” to bring a trophy back to north London. “We are unsatisfied and upset,” he confessed, “but I believe we’re on the right trajectory.”
Arteta’s message to the fans was both an apology and a rallying cry. He acknowledged that some supporters had already headed for the exits before he emerged, but insisted the club must continue dreaming bigger.
“We had a dream: to be here, or a week from now, lifting a major trophy for you,” he admitted. “We couldn’t do it this season, but we must chase that dream with positivity and enthusiasm next year.” Rest and recovery come first, there’s a final away trip to relegated Southampton, but the manager is already looking ahead. “These players have incredible talent,” he said. “We have to start writing our own history at this stadium.”
If Arsenal avoid defeat at St Mary’s, they will cement a third straight second-placed finish. Arteta’s parting words made one thing clear: second place, Champions League qualification and a 71-point haul are not enough. He promised to squeeze “every drop of everybody here” to elevate Arsenal from contenders to champions. The challenge is set; now comes the hard work.
