Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his “unsatisfaction and upset” that the club is facing another season without a major trophy.
Speaking to supporters at the Emirates Stadium following Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Newcastle – Arsenal’s final home game of the campaign – Arteta delivered a passionate and emotional address.
While the win secures Arsenal’s place in next season’s Champions League, it marks five years since the Gunners last lifted a significant piece of silverware, their FA Cup triumph in 2020.
This season has seen Arsenal fall short in several competitions. They were convincingly beaten to the Premier League title by Liverpool, reached the semi-finals of both the Champions League and Carabao Cup before exiting, and were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round.
Arteta vowed to dedicate himself to ending Arsenal’s trophy drought, stating he is ready to “give his life” to achieve this.
“Liverpool have a trophy – we don’t have a trophy,” Arteta, who won the FA Cup early in his tenure after taking charge in December 2019, told his post-match media conference. “We are unsatisfied and upset. But I think we are on the right trajectory. What I can promise is that I will do my very best [to win a trophy] and I will give my life, and get every drop of everybody here to squeeze it and get the best out of them.”
Asked about the continued support of the Arsenal fans, Arteta responded: “That’s what I feel but they want more, they have expectations. We need to believe we are going to do it together.”
Some supporters had already left the stadium when Arteta took to the pitch shortly after the final whistle to thank them for their backing throughout the season.
“We had a dream, it was to be here or in a week’s time and bring the big trophies to you guys and we couldn’t do it for many circumstances,” he said. “We need to make sure that chasing a dream doesn’t get blurry and make sure we chase the dream with positivity and enthusiasm for next season. We have to start creating our own history here in this stadium and we started this season. There is much more to come and it won’t be easy. These players have the talent. We need to rest and finish at Southampton and then go on holiday.”
Arsenal are on course for a third consecutive second-place finish in the Premier League and will secure this if they avoid defeat against already-relegated Southampton in their final match of the season next Sunday.
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