Coach Mikel Arteta hopes Arsenal can strike fear into opponents like Arsene Wenger's unbeaten team that won the 2003-04 season and aim for a first Premier League title in 20 years.
Last season, Arsenal led the Premier League for 93% of the time, but ran out of steam in the final stages and missed out on the title to Man City. This is the longest period of time a club has been at the top of the Premier League table without being crowned.
This season, the Gunners continue to compete for the championship when they are currently in second place with 68 points, one point more than Man City and two points less than Liverpool, with eight matches left in the season.
The last time Arsenal won the Premier League was when they went undefeated under legendary manager Arsene Wenger in the 2003-04 season. At that time, Arteta was playing for Everton and was defeated 0-5 when the defending champions were defeated at Arsenal's old home ground, Highbury, in May 2005.
Arteta wants his current Arsenal players to strike fear into their opponents in every game, just like Wenger's golden generation 20 years ago. "It's very difficult to feel what our opponents are feeling," the Spaniard said ahead of the Premier League clash with Brighton. "I've been in the tunnel, playing for another club, and I've seen the unbeaten Arsenal side. I had the feeling that tonight was going to be really difficult. Hopefully we can create the same mentality in our opponents, because that's a very positive thing for the team."
Coach Arteta directs Arsenal's 2-0 win over Luton Town in round 31 of the Premier League at Emirates Stadium on April 3. Photo: Reuters
Arsenal are in fine form, winning nine and drawing one of their 10 Premier League games in 2024. They have also scored the most goals in the league with 72 and conceded the fewest with 24. Defensively, the Gunners have kept 13 clean sheets, including five in their last seven league games.
Arteta is not surprised that Arsenal have the best defence and attack in the league, but cannot hold on to the top spot. "That speaks to the level and competitiveness of the Premier League over the last six or seven years," the 42-year-old coach said. "The difference is too small. But I hope the team can maintain this statistic, and then we will have a good chance to win the title."
The Spanish coach also highlighted the defensive quality of his current team. He explained: "First of all, it's the organisation in the defensive phase, then the players want to defend well, keep a clean sheet and make things difficult for the opponents. That gives us a good foundation. If you want to dominate the game and stifle the opponents, you have to have the ball and use it in the best way possible with maximum threat. If not, you have to win the ball as early as possible and as far away from the goal as possible."
Arteta half-joked that he would have to ask his wife and children if they would watch Man City and Liverpool games, stressing that the only way to compete for the title is to win as many as possible. "The kids might want to play Lego or go out and play football or something else. But I think I will watch the majority of Man City and Liverpool games, certainly with the family," he added.
Hong Duy
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