Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has openly admitted that watching Liverpool secure the Premier League title has been a painful experience, following the Reds’ emphatic 5-1 victory over Tottenham that sealed their second Premier League championship.
“Yes, big time,” Arteta responded when asked if Liverpool’s triumph hurt him. “I understand that it’s a team who have been more consistent, they’ve had the ingredients to win it and it’s been painful.”
Despite the disappointment, the Spaniard displayed sportsmanship by congratulating Liverpool on their achievement: “I want to congratulate Liverpool and what they’ve done, the manner they’ve done it and how consistent they’ve been, and I think they fully deserved to win it.”
Arsenal’s title challenge has been significantly hampered by injuries to key players. Arteta revealed his shock at seeing so many first-team players sidelined simultaneously before their Champions League semi-final against PSG, which they lost 1-0. “I walked into the dressing room and suddenly I saw all of them together seated,” he explained. “I said ‘that’s a starting line-up’ and we haven’t had them for many months.”
The Gunners now face Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium, a team currently sitting 10th in the table and still harboring hopes of European qualification. Arteta spoke warmly about Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, with whom he played youth football at Basque club Antiguoko in the 1990s.
“He was super talented and he used to play as a winger or inside, he was a very smart player and none of us thought we would be in this position together in the Premier League,” Arteta reflected. “He’s done an extraordinary job, he’s changed a lot of things at the club with the atmosphere, the belief, the players they’ve recruited, the way they play, it’s really impressive.”
Arsenal must now focus on their remaining fixtures, including the crucial second leg against PSG, as they aim to salvage their season by reaching the Champions League final while maintaining their position in the Premier League’s top four.
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