The morning after the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, Arteta gathered the players and reassured them that nothing has been won yet, so nothing can be lost; in other words, to take it forward, seize the opportunity, and enjoy it. That temporarily worked, as was seen in professional wins over Leeds United and Sunderland.
One issue, however, is that this constant intensity around the club – the angst discussed here – continues to affect thinking, especially in tight and tense matches.
One description of Arsenal has been that they too often look like “a team waiting for something to happen” rather than simply going and seizing it, as the coach implores. Part of that may be down to his evolving tactics.
Some players have even referred to a key spell in the Wolves match. After Arsenal went 1-0 up, the Molineux crowd were audibly agitated, and the home team could barely string two passes together. The opportunity was clearly there to blow Wolves away in a manner that would have evoked obvious comparisons with Arsène Wenger’s title winners.
In the 1997-98 run-in, there were a series of key games that Arsenal won almost as soon as they began. In two of the most impressive examples, they were 3-0 up after 14 minutes away to Blackburn Rovers and 3-0 up at home to Wimbledon within 19 minutes. They weren’t weighed down by an overwhelming desire for the title. They just went and claimed it.
That is exactly why the wins over Spurs and Bayern felt so symbolic for this season. They were two rare games in the past two campaigns when Arsenal subjected the opposition to the “spin dryer.”
This is a phrase Arteta uses to describe his idealised tactical approach, where his team moves the ball so much that the other side becomes completely disoriented. Arsenal were a perfect illustration of this during their “launch” season of 2022-23, and especially in the second half of the 2023-24 campaign.
A lot, however, has tangibly changed since then.
Some at the club caution against comparisons with 2022-23 because that young team had a crucial element of surprise and could play free from expectation. The weight simply wasn’t there.
That has changed, and grown heavier, with every runners-up finish. But it has also changed Arteta. His obsession with “probabilities” is widely discussed, but the key is how that manifests.
Rather than focusing on unravelling opposition structures the way his team did from 2022 to 2024, Arteta is said to have become obsessed with maintaining his own team’s structure.
Hence, the integrity of the pressing system now takes precedence over attacking. Some attackers don’t attempt more creative actions in certain areas, aware that it might disrupt the pressing positions behind them.
As an extension of this, Arteta’s perspective on the game is highly analytical. He believes that if Arsenal can restrict the opposition to under 0.5 xG and generate 2 xG themselves in every game, the probabilities indicate they will win enough matches to claim the title.
Some issues with this approach, however, arise from moments such as individual errors or poor back passes, which don’t contribute to xG in the same way. Arsenal have dropped a series of points from such incidents in 2026 alone.
This is, of course, the human element: over-focusing on numbers can occasionally overlook the unpredictability of people.
As one experienced football figure with knowledge of Arsenal cautioned: “We may now be living in an ultra-modern, data-driven game, but the core of it remains the same: dealing with people.”
An instinctive feel for this was Sir Alex Ferguson’s great quality. Look at how he gave Peter Schmeichel time off after a series of errors in United’s treble season.
Some Arsenal players could do with the same. A first week off in two months after the Spurs game may be crucial. Importantly, they will also have some “warriors” returning.
It has already been noted how Arsenal’s best recent performances have coincided with Kai Havertz playing. He understands Arteta’s system and amplifies it. He seizes the moment – he has scored the winner in a Champions League final, after all.
Arsenal’s situation isn’t terminal. They have “bottled” nothing yet. They may just have to battle in a way they hadn’t considered probable.
