The Gunners manager addressed fans at Emirates Stadium following Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Newcastle, Arsenal’s final home game of the season. While the result secured Champions League qualification for Arsenal, it also marked five years since their last major trophy win – the FA Cup in 2020.
Arsenal’s season saw them fall short in several competitions: a distant second to Liverpool in the Premier League, semi-final exits in both the Champions League and Carabao Cup, and a third-round defeat in the FA Cup.
Arteta emphasized his commitment to ending this drought, stating, “Liverpool have a trophy – we don’t have a trophy… We are unsatisfied and upset. But I think we are on the right trajectory.” He added, “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.”
When asked about fan support, Arteta acknowledged their desire for trophies: “That’s what I feel but they want more, they have expectations. We need to believe we are going to do it together.”
Some fans had already left the stadium when Arteta addressed the crowd post-match, thanking them for their support 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. Any other club in this position would finish in a position that we cannot even dream of.”
Arsenal will guarantee a third consecutive second-place finish in the Premier League with at least a draw against already-relegated Southampton in their final game next Sunday.
