Just over two years ago, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stood in front of his team in the dressing room as they prepared to face Brentford. On the screen behind the Spaniard, was a tweet.
Six months earlier, Arsenal had lost to the same Brentford in the opening match of the Premier League season in a game that had ignited mass criticism of the Arsenal manager and his players. Brentford striker Ivan Toney had tweeted after the game mocking the Gunners.
“Nice kick about with the boys”, Arteta read from the screen.
In an instant, the manager had transformed a regular Premier League match, into a grudge match. Arsenal won that game and Alexandre Lacazette, captain at the time, repeated Toney’s jibe on Twitter (now X) after. This was not the first time Arteta had motivated his players using the tool of revenge and nor was it the last.
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In the last few years this young crop of Arsenal players have grown exponentially in many departments, but perhaps the most significant has been character. Arsenal have for years been stereotyped, often unfairly but sometimes not, as a team full of technical and talented players but who lack in mentality and fail to show up in the big moments.
Since the day Arteta re-arrived, he has worked to change that. In the players he has chosen to sign, the way he has set up his team to play, and the way he has motivated them. Today’s Arsenal are still full of the same technique and talent, but grit, strength and determination too. They are a team often motivated by retribution, and we see it constantly.
Last season Arsenal fell short of the title, and were haunted by poor performances towards the end of the season.
A loss at Goodison Park came in February last year and disrupted a great Arsenal run. This season, they put that right by beating Everton away for the first time since 2017.
Late-season losses to Brighton and Nottingham Forest home and away, respectively, confirmed Manchester City’s re-claiming of the Premier League title at Arsenal’s expense. The Gunners have won both games this season, in convincing fashion.
Manchester City themselves were beaten at the Emirates Stadium this season, a result the Arsenal players certainly would’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
Even during this season, we have seen examples of Arsenal’s desire to settle scores. West Ham played a part in Arsenal’s collapse last season, denying Arteta’s side three points at the London Stadium. This season, David Moyes' side beat them at the Emirates Stadium. When the Hammers hosted Arsenal just over a month later, they were thumped 0-6 in a humiliating defeat.
The same is true of Newcastle, who won an incredibly controversial game at St James' Park earlier in the season. A very controversial winner was allowed to stand and Arteta was incensed, describing the decision as "embarrassing". His comments told the story of a man overwhelmed by rage and injustice but a man who knew he had the perfect video to display to his players before the later fixture. The following 4-1 destruction of the Magpies proved that theory.
Arsenal fans and certainly Arteta, will hope the squad are looking for the ultimate revenge this season by beating Manchester City to the Premier League title.
Learning lessons
While vengeance does serve as the motivation, it is also the lessons learned from the losses that play a crucial role. Arsenal appear to have developed an ability to learn from their mistakes, and there are some early indications this season that the Gunners have benefitted from tough lessons in last season’s title run-in.
Last season, Arsenal flew out of the blocks. They were the season’s surprise package and won nine of their first ten games, blowing away every team before them. The football was very attacking, requiring huge effort in every game and it clearly took a lot out of the players.
It was around this stage of the season, in mid-March, that while Arsenal’s league form hadn’t yet taken a hit, the cracks had begun to show. A second-leg tie against Sporting CP in the Europa League brought injuries to crucial defender William Saliba and his probable replacement, Takehiro Tomiyasu. The injuries would keep both players out for the season and prove fatal to Arsenal’s defensive solidity.
Often, Arsenal’s incredibly fast start to games left them lacking control towards the end of the ninety minutes and sometimes left them hanging on. They would almost always manage to secure the three points, but the emotional output was huge. It had led to a funny atmosphere among the fans, a clear vibe of anxiety and this appeared to sometimes spread to the players.
In the final six games of the season, Arsenal won just three and looked spent. It was a disappointing end to the season but crucially allowed the young squad to experience a title race and ultimately learn lessons.
Arsenal’s start to this season felt different. Games were slower and Arsenal did not create the same level of chances compared to last season’s start. They were unbeaten in their first ten but drew three games, many of the wins not accompanied by the same exciting, energetic performances we had seen last season.
However, crucially, Arsenal appeared to be in control for the most part. They were not conceding many chances and were not often left hanging on, rather keeping the ball and keeping their opponents at arm’s length.
The Gunners have been through a rough patch, but these games can be more attributed to poor finishing rather than performance.
Before Saturday’s game, Arsenal have won their last seven Premier League games and are scoring at will. Their squad appears to be close to fully available and players look fresh and raring to go. Whereas last season they started so quickly, that period of aggressive, attacking football appears to have kicked in just before the run-in, a huge advantage.
The control is still there, too. Arsenal are conceding the lowest expected goals in the league and scoring the most. While they are currently behind in the race for the title, they seem to have hit fitness and form at the perfect time. There is no guarantee last season’s title loss will be avenged, but Arsenal appear to have acted on valuable lessons learned.
Saturday’s game will see the return to the Emirates Stadium of the team who triggered Arteta’s iconic team talk in 2022. Given Brentford’s last visit brought one of the most controversial VAR decisions of all time when Lee Mason ‘forgot to draw the lines’ to disallow Toney’s equaliser, it is likely Arsenal will see another score to settle.
Should Arsenal win, they will go top of the league ahead of Manchester City and Liverpool’s clash on Sunday. One step closer to their ultimate revenge story.