When Mikel Arteta renewed his contract with Arsenal in September 2024, the Gunners were still chasing a major trophy. Fast‑forward two seasons, and after guiding the club to a long‑awaited Premier League crown, he has signed an even longer deal. The new agreement signals that the board now expects him not just to win a solitary title, but to turn a champion side into a perennial winner. Arteta’s impact on Arsenal has been nothing short of revolutionary.
He arrived in 2019 when the club were languishing around tenth place, drifting without a clear identity. In just a few years he has reshaped every facet of the organization – from the playing style on the pitch to the scouting network and youth development pipeline. The once‑mid‑table side now sits comfortably among Europe’s elite, a transformation that is evident in every department of the club. By securing the Premier League, Arteta joined an exclusive list of 13 managers who have lifted the trophy.
Yet a still smaller cadre – Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho and Arsène Wenger – have managed to claim the crown more than once. Artetta now stands on the brink of joining that elite circle, a prospect that would cement his legacy in English football history. The contract renewal, described by co‑chair Josh Kroenke as an "utmost priority" in May, reflects Arsenal’s belief that they are in the best possible hands.
It also gives Arteta a chance to emulate Guardiola’s longevity at Manchester City, a benchmark for modern managerial endurance. The board sees the departure of Arteta’s former mentor at City and the broader instability in the league as an opening for Arsenal to dominate during what Kroenke calls their "win window." "We think we have a chance here to dominate," he said, underscoring the ambition behind the new deal.
One of the biggest challenges Arteta faces is the lack of a marquee striker added during the summer transfer window. Nonetheless, his squad is now packed with players entering or already in their prime years – typically between 24 and 28 – and they have the added confidence that comes from having already lifted major silverware.
This blend of youthful vigor and experience positions the team well to build on their recent successes. Arteta himself has become a template for other clubs. The rookie head coach who arrived with limited experience has evolved into an elite manager whose methods are now studied and emulated across Europe.
His greatest asset, perhaps, is his intimate knowledge of the culture he painstakingly created at Arsenal. Who better to nurture and protect that culture than the architect himself? As Kroenke put it, establishing a solid foundation is often the hardest part of any journey, and Arteta has already laid that groundwork.
The progress under his tenure has been steady and measurable. Domestically, Arsenal ended a 22‑year wait for the league title, while in Europe they have moved from quarter‑finalists to semi‑finalists and, most recently, to runners‑up in three consecutive seasons. Yet the work is far from finished. A surprising defeat to Brighton exposed vulnerabilities; it was a rare three‑goal loss that felt like a slap in the face for a side that had not suffered such a margin since 2023.
Arteta will likely use that setback as a reminder that complacency has no place in a title‑defending side. "This is a big lesson for all of us to understand what it takes to win at this level," he said after the match.
Historically, very few clubs have managed back‑to‑back Premier League triumphs. Arsenal have not achieved consecutive titles since the 1930s, highlighting the enormity of the task ahead. Arteta must continue to evolve the squad, especially after two seasons in which injuries to key attackers forced the team to rely heavily on defensive solidity and set‑piece efficiency. While those traits helped them clinch the league, the ambition now is to raise the attacking bar to the same level.
Fortunately, the injury list is clearer this season, and when the likes of Kai Havertz, Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka are fit for a full campaign, Arsenal can be dangerous. In the 2023/24 season, when those three played together for the majority of the campaign, the club set a new record for goals scored.
The trio has already rediscovered that chemistry, contributing ten goals in the first seven games of the current season. Beyond individual brilliance, there are signs of a broader tactical shift. Arsenal appear to be moving toward a more possession‑based approach, seeking to dominate matches with the ball rather than relying on counter‑attacks.
Early data shows improvements in possession percentages, pass completion rates, and the number of passes completed in the final third compared with last season. Notably, the team is attempting nearly twice as many build‑up attacks – defined as sequences of ten or more passes that culminate in a shot or a decisive touch inside the opposition’s box. The Brighton loss revealed some growing pains, particularly in breaking down a high press.
The Gunners were occasionally caught out, leading to turnovers and defensive pressure. However, overall they have displayed a more cohesive and purposeful attacking unit. While they sit three points behind Manchester City in the league, underlying metrics – such as expected goals, chance creation, and defensive solidity – suggest Arsenal may be the best‑performing side at this stage of the 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 sole exception being Bukayo Saka’s late penalty against Sunderland. In the Champions League opener versus Napoli, Arsenal generated a record 4.05 expected goals despite only finding the net once, illustrating a heightened offensive threat.
Looking ahead, future transfer windows will be crucial for fine‑tuning the squad. Yet the continued emergence of academy graduates – Max Dowman and Marli Salmon being the latest examples – provides optimism that the club’s developmental pathway is bearing fruit under Arteta’s stewardship. As the manager’s second era begins, the combination of home‑grown talent, a clear tactical identity, and a contract that ties him to the club for the foreseeable future creates a compelling narrative for Arsenal fans and a formidable challenge for their rivals.