Mikel Arteta did not watch the moment Manchester City dropped points at Bournemouth to hand Arsenal the Premier League title. He was in his back garden, building a fire and preparing a barbecue, when his eldest son came running through the garden door in tears to deliver the news that had been 22 years in the making.
“I went outside to the garden, I started to build some fire. I started to do some barbecue. I didn’t watch any of it,” Arteta told reporters on 21 May. “My eldest son opened the garden door, he started to run towards me. He started to cry, gave me a hug and said, we are champions, daddy. Then my other two boys and my wife came over, and it was beautiful, just to see the joy on them as well.”
Arteta had originally planned to be at Arsenal’s training centre at London Colney to watch the game with his players, but found himself unable to make the trip. He chose instead to remain at home, and watching from afar turned out to be the right instinct. Videos shared by Arsenal on social media showed players dancing and chanting at the training centre as the title was confirmed, and Arteta was clear that his presence might have altered the mood.
“It was their moment. And they have to be themselves in that moment. And if I’m there, I think it wasn’t going to be the same,” he said.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard rang Arteta almost immediately, asking where his manager was. “I said, guys, enjoy for a while and see you in a few hours somewhere in London,” Arteta recalled with a smile.
The title is Arteta’s first as a manager, and he was characteristically honest about the doubts he carried throughout a campaign in which Arsenal had led the table for much of the season but were never more than a slip-up away from losing their advantage. Finishing second three times in a row under Arteta before this season had created its own weight of expectation.
“To play with that on your back constantly is not easy. That has been one of the toughest moments. We showed very important values not only in sport, but in life: perseverance, to be resilient, to be composed in moments when people are doubting,” he said.
He also admitted to a moment of profound personal vulnerability during the campaign. “I have asked that question to myself, am I good enough to lead these players to win a major trophy? Until you do it, you cannot validate yourself.”
Arteta said the title had already changed the mood and confidence within the club, giving the squad an emotional platform ahead of the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on 30 May.
“It changes because the level of emotion you feel is something I haven’t felt before,” he said.
Arsenal will complete their league season and lift the Premier League trophy at Crystal Palace on Sunday, giving the club and its supporters a formal moment of celebration before attention turns to the biggest game in the club’s recent history.
“We will have a window to celebrate and lift the trophy and connect with the people we have constantly around us. Then we have six days to write new history in this football club,” Arteta said.
