The Wobbles, the Fire, and the Belief
Mikel Arteta has always had a thing about fire.
Not just the literal kind — though there has been plenty of that too — but the symbolism behind it. Passion. Renewal. Unity. Belief.
Only a month ago, when Arsenal’s form dipped at the worst possible time and doubts began creeping into the title race, Arteta gathered his players around a fire at the club’s training ground. He asked them to imagine throwing every negative thought into the flames and leaving it there.
It sounded unusual from the outside. But inside Arsenal, moments like these have become part of the culture Arteta has built.
Over the years, he has hosted barbecues for players, staff, and their families at London Colney, creating an atmosphere that feels less like a workplace and more like a close-knit community. For Arteta, success has never been just about tactics or talent. It has been about connection.
And now, with the Premier League title finally secured, the fire still burns.
Arsenal’s attention turns to the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on 30 May — a chance to complete a season that could go down as the greatest in the club’s history.
If they win in Budapest, this team will not simply be remembered for one extraordinary campaign. They will be remembered as the finished product of a six-year transformation.
Back in 2020, Arteta repeatedly asked supporters to “trust the process.” At the time, it became a phrase mocked by rival fans and questioned even by some Arsenal supporters. But years later, it feels less like a slogan and more like a prophecy fulfilled.
Arteta has been the driving force behind it all — intense, demanding, obsessive, and completely committed to reshaping Arsenal into one of Europe’s elite sides again.
Of course, this success was never built by one man alone.
Sporting director Andrea Berta deserves enormous credit for helping Arsenal over the line this season, but the foundations were laid long before. Former sporting director Edu, alongside key figures like Jason Ayto, James Ellis, and head of football intelligence Mark Curtis, helped rebuild the squad piece by piece through smart recruitment and long-term planning.
The results are impossible to ignore. Ten of Arsenal’s 15 most-used Premier League players this season arrived during Edu’s tenure.
Behind the scenes, chief executive Richard Garlick has backed the rebuild from the beginning, while Josh Kroenke — co-chairman of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment — has become increasingly involved in club affairs. Those around Arsenal say his presence this season has been more visible than ever.
In November, Kroenke travelled to London to attend the ceremony where Arsenal Women received the Freedom of Islington. He spent time with players, supporters, and community groups, speaking openly about the bond between the club and its local community.
Then, after a painful defeat to Manchester United in January, he flew in again — around the same period Arteta delivered an emotional plea to supporters to “jump on the boat” with the team.
That connection between club, manager, players, and fans has become one of Arsenal’s greatest strengths.
The academy has played its role too. Players like Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, and Max Dowman represent the latest generation produced by Arsenal’s youth system — symbols of a club building for both the present and the future.
Still, the road to the title was far from smooth.
Arsenal missed opportunities to ease the pressure and suffered heartbreak in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City. Arteta, usually ruthless in his decision-making, allowed sentiment to guide him when he selected Kepa Arrizabalaga at Wembley — and the goalkeeper’s costly error contributed to defeat.
But something shifted after another loss to City in the league set up a direct battle for the title.
Instead of tightening up under pressure, Arsenal grew stronger.
Arteta himself changed too. Earlier in his reign, every decision felt calculated and controlled. This season, there were moments where he trusted instinct and emotion just as much as analysis.
What never changed was his willingness to think differently.
One of the season’s more unexpected stories involved an AI-generated song featuring every member of the squad. Arteta refuses to explain exactly where it came from, smiling only that it “came from somewhere.” But the players embraced it instantly, and it became an anthem of the campaign.
The song includes one of Arteta’s favourite phrases:
“Make it happen.”
After years of rebuilding, setbacks, criticism, and belief, Arsenal finally did.
