Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admits he’s still not over the disappointment of missing out on the Premier League title last season

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that he still hasn’t got over the disappointment of missing out on the Premier League title last season.

Arteta’s side were eight points clear at the top in January but ended up losing out on the title to Manchester City.

The Arsenal boss stressed that he is looking to use the frustration from the end of last season as extra motivation going into the new campaign. 

Speaking to GQ Magazine, Arteta said: ‘I don’t know if I’ve gotten over it, and probably I don’t want to because I need that to be better.’ 

‘There are certain things that you must have to win the title. We had a lot, but it wasn’t enough.’

Arteta stated his belief that his Arsenal side are capable of winning the league this season

Arsenal have been heavily active in the summer transfer window, securing deals for Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber. 

Arteta believes that his team are capable of going one better this season and winning the title. 

He said: ‘If not, I wouldn’t be sitting here. I love winning, but we have to deserve to win.’ 

‘The day I decided to be a manager I had to be clear on one thing: I don’t know if I’m going to be sacked tomorrow, in a month, in a year, but it is going to happen,’ he says. ‘I don’t want to leave my job with the fear of ‘What if?’ 

GQ’s piece on Arteta mentioned the 150-year-old olive tree that he had planted in the grounds between his office and the training pitch.

Arteta previously revealed that he takes an olive tree into the club’s team meetings to ‘show that growth only comes when roots are nurtured’.

It’s not the only way he has looked to reduce stress levels, previously bringing in a chocolate Labrador named Win to improve the team’s togetherness.

He also has a poster on his office wall which says the word ‘enjoyment’ in capital letters.  

Arteta also told GQ about the influence that City manager Pep Guardiola had on him.

After becoming City’s assistant manager in 2016, Arteta had doubts over whether he was ready for the job. However, Guardiola gave him confidence that he could succeed.

Arteta says Pep Guardiola gave him confidence he was ready for a coaching career

Arteta stressed that in football money alone isn’t enough to guarantee success

Reflecting on his playing career, Arteta says winning the FA Cup in 2014 was a special moment

‘He really looked after me from the beginning and from that day I got really attached to him.’

He remembers Guardiola saying to him: ‘You are ready. If you don’t (take the job), I’ll kick your ass.’ 

The GQ interview also revealed how he read books on decision-making. These included Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and Noise by Daniel Kahneman, Oliver Sibony and Cass Sunstein.  

Although high-profile players have headed to Saudi Arabia this summer such as Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahez and Jordan Henderson, Arteta is adamant that money isn’t everything when it comes to success.

Referring to Manchester City’s recent treble, Arteta said: ‘You don’t do that with money, believe me. There’s a lot of right decisions [and] being so demanding and so clever in certain moments. Money cannot buy everything.’

Reflecting on his playing career, Arteta says winning the FA Cup with Arsenal in 2014, which ended the club’s nine year trophy drought, was a memorable moment.

He said: ‘Winning the FA Cup after nine years without a trophy was a great moment. Arsène [Wenger] was having a very tough time and it was the petrol firing everybody to try and do more for him, to prove people wrong. He never asked for it, but we wanted to do well for him.’