Mikel Arteta has praised Arsenal for securing Champions League football and a likely second-place finish, firing a subtle shot at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the process.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 18: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Newcastle United FC at Emirates Stadium on May 18, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Arsenal mathematically secured Champions League football with a win over Newcastle United on Sunday, with a four-point gap to third place with only one match remaining.
The Gunners haven’t mathematically finished second yet, as sixth-place Manchester City have a game in hand. Should they win their final two fixtures, they could match Arsenal’s current tally of 71 points.
But Arsenal have a 10-goal advantage in goal difference and would likely need to lose heavily to relegated Southampton to finish below City on the final day. Realistically, a second-place finish is extremely probable.
LONDON COLNEY, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, looks on during a training session and press conference ahead of their UEFA Champions League 2024/25 semi final first/second leg match at Sobha Realty Training Centre on May 06, 2025 in London Colney, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images
Reflecting on the season, Mikel Arteta insisted his team deserve his praise for maintaining high standards and not dropping down the table despite their injuries and issues with red cards in 2024/25.
“Make sure, as I said, that it doesn’t get blurry, and it doesn’t get recognised what we’ve done,” Arteta said. “Any other team, I’ve seen it with one injury to finishing eighth, fifth, 16th, 17th.
“What this team has done, in my opinion, to sustain the level throughout the season with everything that happened is incredible.
“We don’t want anybody to value [it], but me as a manager, I have to value what these guys have done.”
MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 16: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between Real Madrid C.F. and Arsenal FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 16, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images
The references to clubs dropping to 16th or 17th feel a little pointed, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur occupying those two positions with one game of the season remaining.
One of the two clubs will sneak into the Champions League with Europa League success later this week, but even that team will have a huge job on their hands to completely reverse their domestic form next year.
As for the team that loses, it will arguably be their worst season in many, many years.
Even with all of the obstacles Arsenal have faced this season, they’re not even close to dropping to that level. Arteta is right to highlight it.
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