Mikel Arteta has ended Arsenal's so-called 'banter era' by delivering the club's 14th Premier League title, transforming a team once considered a laughing stock into serious contenders again. The former captain's meticulous long-term plan has restored glory to the Emirates, with players celebrating their triumph at London Colney before heading to a central London club.
Arteta, described by sources as an obsessive hard worker who can easily put in 90-hour weeks, has been likened to a start-up founder on a mission. One insider recalled a comment similar to Sir Alex Ferguson's at a comparable age: 'This isn't just a job to me. It's a mission.' His zeal was honed during a wait to become manager, after initially being lined up in 2018 only for the hierarchy to pivot to Unai Emery.
Before Arteta's return in December 2019, the club was in disarray. A senior figure described it as 'a chaotic mess', with a toxic dressing room where players allegedly feigned injuries to avoid away trips. 'It was disjointed and selfish,' an insider said, with some directors showing little ambition due to perceived owner Stan Kroenke's disinterest. Online, Arsenal was infamous as a 'banter era' club.
Arteta's vision convinced the hierarchy during a four-hour meeting, where he detailed how to make Arsenal competitive. He had long been obsessed with Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich and saw managing Arsenal as his destiny after joining from Everton in 2011. His ability to adapt as a player prefaced his managerial thinking, and he has now banished the jokes for good.
