Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, expresses his determination to lift trophies, emulating Manchester City's success.
The size of a goalpost. A puzzling Video Assistant Referee (VAR) determination. An unforeseen missing point. All you have to do is ask Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
For two successive years, he and Arsenal have transitioned into the bridesmaids to the one-woman show that is Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
The previous season, the Gunners were beaten by five points for the Premier League championship.
This season, Arsenal was just two excruciating points behind, as City won a record-breaking fourth straight title.
As the Spaniard realizes, history is recorded by the victors.
"I'm a winner, and it takes some time when I don't achieve my objectives," Arteta told CNN Sport's Amanda Davies at the debut Globe Soccer Awards Europe Edition in Sardinia, Italy.
"I think we should be extremely proud of what we accomplished throughout this season, both in European competition and the Premier League.
"But at the same time, that feeling of not having the Premier League in our possession is painful."
Very close, but not quite there
The development under Arteta at Arsenal has been an uphill journey since the former captain took over the reins of the North London club in December 2019.
Their position in the league has steadily improved – from eighth in 2019-20 and 2020-21 to fifth in 2021-22 and then two consecutive second-placed finishes. Champions League football has returned to the Emirates and so did the trophies.
But the Holy Grail of the Premier League is still what they and their fans so desperately crave.
At one point during this season, it seemed they were about to fulfill their dream of hoisting the trophy for the first time since 2004.
Despite the nail-biting title clash between the Gunners and City coming down to the season finale, it eventually boiled down to Manchester City claiming their sixth title in seven seasons.
"I believe it's been an extremely thrilling season all the way to the last minutes of the last day, with us battling for the Premier League," Arteta said.
"I think we built up so much excitement and belief around our fans, the players, and the club, that we truly wanted to deliver that moment to them. They deserve it. The team deserves it.
"You have to congratulate Man City in the end after 38 games. Two more points than us and they are the winners."
Looking back, does the Spaniard have any regrets about how the season progressed?
"None at all," Arteta responded with certainty.
"You look back on specific moments in the season, but this season has been almost ideal. To accumulate the amount of points that we did – both us and City – in this exceptionally competitive league. There's nothing comparable.
"Now [it's time to] recharge, try to get stronger, and see where the margins are and go at it again next season."
Friends turned foes
The story of both enthralling campaigns has been the relationship between the mentor Guardiola and his former pupil Arteta – a friendship that dates back to their playing days in Catalonia.
The Spaniards first met each other in 1997 when Arteta joined Barcelona's youth academy.
Although their encounter was brief, their bond grew over the years, and the two would once again be reunited nearly two decades later.
After retiring as a player in 2016, Arteta joined Guardiola's coaching staff at Manchester City and won seven trophies during his three years as assistant manager at the club.
Ever since taking reigns as full-time manager with the North London club, the two have showered each other with admiration for their work both on and off the pitch.
Arteta confirmed he had sent messages to his buddy along with the staff.
"I congratulated him, the staff," he said. "At the end they deserved it. They were the winners. We keep pursuing and trying to be better than them.
"One is the professional relationship and that competition and then there's obviously all the emotional connections I have towards him and the staff. I spent four blissful years over there [in Manchester], and that will never change."
So how does the one-time midfielder plan to dethrone his buddy at the pinnacle next season?
"We must improve," Arteta said. "We're getting closer. When you see all the metrics, we're on the same level. We were the best team in the league in just about every metric.
"Yet there is a margin there that we didn't control adequately, and the title is gone. That's the standard.
"It's incredibly challenging but also inspiring to have a team with such quality and consistency over the past seven to nine years, trying to surpass them. Our focus is, how can we better ourselves."
"Players long to lift trophies"
And how Arteta sees himself and the club improving is by trusting the process that includes player recruitment.
Arsenal invested heavily in reinforcing their squad last summer with high-caliber acquisitions throughout the spine of the team.
https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1523934244797423617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The English footballer Declan Rice, a national team player, made headlines as the most expensive transfer in the UK, moving from West Ham United for an estimated £105 million ($137.45 million). Kai Havertz, a star player from Germany, left London's rival team Chelsea for a hefty price, and Jurrien Timber signed with Arsenal from Ajax. Does this mean fans can expect another major spending spree this year?
According to Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, the focus should be on improving the current team instead of making big transfers. "We will assess our squad and ask ourselves how we can improve, develop, and raise our performance from the previous season. We want to continue our progress without losing our identity as a club," he said.
Arteta has one year left on his contract and has not confirmed if he'll extend it - though his current situation indicates he may stay at Arsenal beyond 2025. "I enjoy my time at Arsenal, and I'm happy with my position. But in football, we live day to day. Focusing on today and planning for the future is essential," he shared.
Guardiola recently won a league title again, which made some speculate that his time in the Premier League is nearing its end. However, the current atmosphere suggests he might keep leading one of the London clubs. For now, though, no decisions have been made.
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Despite coming close to winning the Premier League title, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and his team were two points behind Manchester City, who claimed their sixth title in seven seasons. Despite the disappointment, Arteta expressed his pride in the team's performances in both the Premier League and European competitions. (First sentence)
Arteta's determination to lift trophies with Arsenal was evident as they challenged Manchester City for the Premier League title this season. Despite their impressive performances, they came up short by two points, but Arteta was already looking towards the future and improving the team. (Second sentence)
