Arteta’s side start their bid for a second successive English title against promoted Coventry in the opening game of the top-flight season on Friday. With Manchester City’s golden era potentially at an end after Pep Guardiola resigned at the end of last season, the stage is set for Arsenal to enjoy their own sustained period of success. For the first time in 22 years, the Gunners will begin a campaign as the Premier League’s preeminent force, a status Arteta is determined to maintain as he targets an Arsenal dynasty.
Mikel Arteta has warned Arsenal’s rivals that he plans to build the Premier League champions into the “best club in the world”.
Guardiola won six Premier League titles and Arteta, who worked under the Spaniard at City before taking charge of Arsenal in 2019, has no qualms about challenging his players to emulate that dominant run.
“It’s certainly the ambition of the club and the owners to be the best club in the world,” he told Sky Sports this week.
Arteta is using that goal as a rallying cry for his team, with the pain of their Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties last season adding further fuel to the Spaniard’s motivational fire. Winning the Champions League for the first time remains a burning desire for Arteta’s men, but their manager’s primary ambition is domestic supremacy. Bolstered by the arrival of Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle and Greek winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, Arsenal looked more formidable than ever as they tore City to shreds. Ominously for their rivals, Arteta isn’t finished spending yet. The club are on the verge of tying up a deal for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa and have also been linked with Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.
