Mikel Arteta Targets Historic Premier League Repeat as Arsenal Enter New Era

Mikel Arteta is preparing Arsenal for a new chapter after finally ending the club’s 22-year wait for the Premier League title — and the Gunners boss now wants to achieve something the club has never done before: win the championship in consecutive seasons.

Arsenal secured their first Premier League crown since the 2003/04 Invincibles campaign last season, completing a remarkable transformation under Arteta. Now, rather than resting on that success, the Spaniard has set his sights on defending the title.

Arteta Wants to Make History

Arteta has described the challenge of winning back-to-back league titles as a major ambition for the club.

The Arsenal manager knows the difficulty of retaining the Premier League trophy, but believes his squad has an opportunity to create another important chapter in the club's history.

“We have the opportunity to do something we haven't done before at this football club, to win it back to back,” Arteta said.

That objective gives Arsenal an immediate target as they begin the 2026/27 campaign.

Life After Guardiola

One of the biggest changes to the Premier League landscape is the departure of Pep Guardiola from Manchester City.

Guardiola and Arteta shared a close relationship during their time together at City, where Arteta worked as Guardiola's assistant before eventually becoming Arsenal manager.

Their rivalry subsequently became one of the defining managerial battles in English football.

With Guardiola no longer on the opposite touchline, Arteta faces a very different Premier League landscape. The former colleagues spent years competing for the same prize, and Arsenal's title triumph last season finally saw Arteta get the better of his former mentor.

Arsenal Have Set the Standard

Winning the league after a 22-year wait was a huge achievement, but Arsenal now face the challenge that comes with becoming champions: everyone wants to beat them.

Arteta will have to keep his players motivated while dealing with the increased expectations surrounding the club.

The Gunners are no longer chasing Manchester City.

They are now the team everyone else is chasing.

That change in status could be one of the biggest tests of Arteta's managerial career.

Community Shield Provides Early Confidence

Arsenal have already given themselves an encouraging start to the new campaign by defeating Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield.

The victory provided another confidence boost and showed that Arteta's squad remains capable of competing at the highest level even after Guardiola's departure from City.

However, Arteta will know that the Community Shield is only the beginning.

The real challenge comes over the course of 38 Premier League matches.

Arsenal's Squad Continues to Develop

The Gunners have also strengthened their squad, with Bruno Guimarães among the major additions.

The Brazilian midfielder brings further quality and experience to an Arsenal midfield that already contains players such as Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard.

Arteta will also be expected to continue assessing the squad before the transfer window closes, particularly in attacking areas following changes to the forward options.

A New Arsenal Challenge

The 2026/27 season represents a different kind of challenge for Arteta.

Previously, Arsenal were attempting to close the gap on City and establish themselves as genuine title contenders.

Now, they must prove that last season's triumph was not a one-off.

That means handling pressure, avoiding complacency and maintaining consistency against teams that will approach Arsenal differently because they are the defending champions.

Sevens Sports Arena Verdict

Mikel Arteta has already delivered the Premier League title Arsenal had been waiting for since 2004.

Now comes the next challenge.

Winning consecutive league titles would take Arsenal into another level of club history and demonstrate that Arteta has built a sustainable winning team rather than simply ending a long wait for silverware.

The departure of Guardiola also changes the context of the rivalry that has defined much of Arteta's Arsenal journey.

But the focus is no longer on Guardiola.

Arteta's challenge now is to build an Arsenal era of his own.

If the Gunners can defend their crown, Arteta will not only have delivered Arsenal's first Premier League title in 22 years — he will have established the club as the dominant force in English football.