Mikel Arteta urged Arsenal to sustain their energy ahead of next week’s Champions League final with Paris Saint-Germain after they were confirmed as Premier League champions on Tuesday.
Arsenal saw their 22-year wait for the Premier League title come to an end two days ago as Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth secured the trophy for the Gunners with a game to spare.
Arteta’s men finish their league campaign on Sunday at Crystal Palace, in a game that will now be free of tension as Arsenal prepare to receive the trophy at Selhurst Park after their meeting with the Conference League finalists.
But attention will then turn to the unenviable task of trying to dethrone Champions League holders PSG in the showpiece in Budapest, where the Gunners will aim to win that trophy for the first time.
Arteta eyes new Arsenal history
Yet the relief of getting over the line in the Premier League could help Arsenal, with Arteta conceding that takes some of the pressure off a Champions League final for which they are the clear underdogs.
“I think so [it takes the pressure off],” Arteta told a pre-match press conference. “I think it is a lot of emotion, joy, happiness, being proud. And as well it is a relief.
“When you see so many people waiting for something to happen, and when you achieve it, it’s… pffft! Now we need to sustain that energy.
“We had 48 hours to enjoy the success of winning the league, now tomorrow and Saturday we are going to prepare really well because we need to lift our habits and standards to be in the best possible way to compete on Sunday.
“We will have a little window to lift the trophy and connect with the people around us – and then we have six days to write a new history in this football club.”
Arteta confirmed that Mikel Merino will return to full training on Friday and is hopeful Jurrien Timber can do the same as the Gunners seek a pair of injury boosts ahead of the PSG game.
Asked about the parade Arsenal have planned for the day after the Champions League final, Arteta said: “We want to have the parade with two trophies.”
Arteta explains absence from celebrations
There were wild scenes of celebrations among the Arsenal players at the club’s training ground after the final whistle went at Bournemouth. However, Arteta was not among them.
Explaining his absence, Arteta replied: “It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. I was supposed to be here, at the training ground, watching the game with the boys and the staff because that’s what they wanted – but I couldn’t.
“I think 20 minutes before the game I had to leave. I couldn’t bring the energy that I wanted, and ultimately it was their moment to watch it together and be themselves.
“I went home, I went outside to the garden and had a BBQ and I didn’t watch any of it. I was just hearing some noises in the living room and suddenly the magic happened. My eldest son opened the garden door, started to run towards me, gave me a hug and said: ‘We are Champions, daddy!’ It was beautiful.”
On being called Premier League champions, Arteta said: “It’s incredible to hear them [words], especially when you consider the journey they’ve been on, the way they’ve done it, and how many people have been involved and waiting so long to achieve that goal.
“It’s something I probably haven’t felt before. As a manager and a player, it feels different. The last 48 hours have been incredible. It has been so much fun and enjoyment. It has been great to live it.”
Arsenal will hope that this title is just the start of an era in which they establish themselves as a dominant force in the Premier League.
But Arteta knows that will be no easy task.
“Now we have to show we have the ambition, the quality and the consistency to do that,” he explained. “That is going to be the next step.”
