When Mikel Arteta inked his previous contract with Arsenal back in September 2024, his ambition to restore major trophies to the North London club was still a work in progress. Fast‑forward two seasons, and after guiding the Gunners to a long‑awaited Premier League crown, he has signed a fresh deal that reflects the board’s confidence in his leadership. The new challenge is clear: turn a one‑time champion into a club that regularly competes for, and wins, silverware. Arteta’s impact on Arsenal has been nothing short of a renaissance.
When he arrived in 2019, the team languished around tenth place, drifting without a clear identity. Today, they sit firmly among Europe’s elite, with a revitalised playing style, a modernised squad and an infrastructure that looks dramatically different from the one he inherited. By adding his name to a short list of 13 managers who have ever lifted the Premier League trophy, Arteta now has the chance to join an even more exclusive club – those who have won the league more than once – a group that currently includes Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho and Arsène Wenger.
The contract renewal, described by co‑chairman Josh Kroenke as an "utmost priority" in May, signals that Arsenal believe they are in capable hands. It also puts Arteta in a position to chase the kind of longevity enjoyed by Guardiola at Manchester City. Kroenke has hinted that the departure of Arteta’s former mentor from City, combined with instability elsewhere in the league, creates a window of opportunity for Arsenal to dominate. He called this period the club’s "win window" and suggested that the Gunners could seize a period of sustained success.
One obstacle Arteta faces is the club’s failure to secure a high‑profile striker during the summer transfer window. Nevertheless, the current roster is packed with players entering or already in their peak years – typically between 24 and 28 – and they now carry the experience of winning major trophies.
This blend of youthful energy and championship pedigree should provide a solid platform for building on the recent triumph. Arteta himself has become a model for other clubs. The former rookie head coach who turned into an elite manager is arguably Arsenal’s most valuable asset, which explains why his contract extension carries such weight. Who better to nurture the culture that underpins the team’s success than the architect of that culture?
Kroenke has emphasized that stability is essential, noting that "getting the foundations in place is usually the hardest part of the journey." Under Arteta, Arsenal have steadily improved both domestically – ending a 22‑year wait for the league title – and in Europe, progressing from Champions League quarter‑finalists to semi‑finalists and then to runners‑up within three seasons. Yet there is still work to be done to keep the momentum alive. A recent defeat to Brighton exposed vulnerabilities and served as a wake‑up call.
The loss was particularly painful because Arsenal, known for their resilience, had not suffered a three‑goal Premier League defeat since 2023. Arteta used the setback to remind his squad that complacency has no place in a title‑defence campaign, stating, "This is a big lesson for all of us to understand what it takes to win at this level." Historically, very few clubs have managed back‑to‑back titles in the Premier League era, and Arsenal have not achieved consecutive championships since the 1930s. The task ahead is therefore monumental. Part of Arteta’s job will be to keep evolving the team.
Last season, injuries to key attackers forced Arsenal to rely heavily on defensive solidity and set‑piece efficiency to clinch the league. While that approach proved effective, the club now needs to raise its attacking ceiling to match its defensive strength. Fortunately, the squad already shows signs of an upgraded offensive outlook. When Kai Havertz, Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka were all fit for the 2023/24 campaign, Arsenal set a club record for goals, with the trio contributing ten goals in the first seven matches.
This season, the same three have reunited and are again delivering goals at a high rate. Moreover, the team appears to be shifting towards a more possession‑based style, seeking to dominate games with the ball rather than relying on counter‑attacks.
Early data supports this narrative: Arsenal’s figures for possession, passing accuracy and passes into the final third have all risen compared to the previous season, and they are attempting nearly twice as many build‑up attacks – defined as sequences of ten or more passes that culminate in a shot or a touch inside the opposition box. The Brighton loss highlighted some growing pains, particularly in breaking the press and maintaining fluidity under pressure. Nonetheless, Arsenal have generally displayed a more cohesive and purposeful attacking unit. In the league, they sit three points behind Manchester City, but underlying metrics – often the best predictor of future performance – still rank them as the highest‑performing side this campaign.
Set‑piece reliance has also diminished. Of the 16 goals scored across all competitions so far, 15 have come from open play, with the lone exception being Bukayo Saka’s late penalty against Sunderland.
This trend was evident in their Champions League opener against Napoli, where despite a 1‑0 loss, Arsenal generated 4.05 expected goals, the highest figure the club has ever recorded in the competition, reflecting a potent offensive threat. Looking ahead, Arsenal will need to utilise upcoming transfer windows to further strengthen the squad.
However, the continued emergence of academy graduates – such as Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, the latest products of the London Colney academy – offers optimism that Arteta’s long‑term vision is bearing fruit. As the club enters this new era, the combination of a stable managerial foundation, a core group of players in their prime, and a pipeline of young talent positions Arsenal to potentially become serial winners under Arteta’s guidance.