Mikel Arteta has put an even bigger target above Arsenal’s head. After leading the Gunners back to the top of English football, the Arsenal manager says the ambition now stretches beyond defending the Premier League title.
Arteta told Sky Sports that Arsenal and their owners have the ambition to become the best club in the world. That is not a small declaration from a manager whose team enter the 2026/27 season as defending Premier League champions.
Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the title last season after finishing second in each of the previous three campaigns. Winning the league finally changed the argument around Arteta’s project.
Now he has changed the argument again
The question is no longer only whether Arsenal can beat Manchester City, Liverpool and the rest of England’s elite over a full league season.
The challenge is whether one championship can become sustained dominance and whether Arsenal can carry that domestic authority into the wider fight for European supremacy.
That is where Arteta’s words gain their weight.
Becoming champions was the breakthrough. Becoming the best club in the world would demand something much harder: repeated success, deeper squads, elite recruitment, European trophies and the ability to survive the pressure that comes with being chased rather than chasing.
Arsenal’s title defence begins against Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium on Friday, August 21.
The champions will be judged differently
Every defeat will carry greater scrutiny. Every transfer will be measured against a title-winning squad. Every Champions League setback will carry more weight. Arteta has already made clear that Arsenal remain prepared to strengthen if the right opportunity appears, another sign that winning the league has not reduced the club’s appetite.
His own future is also tied closely to the next stage. Arteta has entered the final year of his current Arsenal contract and has indicated that he expects his long-term position to be resolved.
That leaves the manager firmly at the centre of the next phase.
Arteta has already overseen Arsenal’s transformation from repeated title challengers into Premier League champions. Now comes the more dangerous test.
Arsenal have reached the summit in England. Their manager has just told everyone that he wants them climbing higher.
Cranse Sports
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