Arsenal boss MIkel Arteta has insisted that while he feels the pressure to win trophies, silverware is not necessarily the measure of success.
The Gunners boss will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing defeat against rivals Liverpool in late August, with his side preparing to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.
Forest would have likely been challenging opponents before the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as manager, but the former Tottenham Hotspur head coach will be keen to dent Arsenal's title hopes.
Postecoglou won the Europa League as Spurs boss in 2024-25, and he fulfilled his promise of always winning silverware in his second season in charge.
When asked by reporters if he is also under pressure to win major honours like Postecoglou was last season, Arteta claimed that trophies do not always constitute success, saying: "It's my ambition, the pressure is ambition for sure. Since the day I stepped in this football club.
"For sure, if you don't win enough football matches you are out in this industry, that's for sure. How many, that varies from one place to another. As a character, as a person, what he transmits, what he brings to football, it's a joy to watch the team that always enjoyed it and learn from it."
Arteta referenced the fact that Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham despite winning the Europa League, as his side had finished 17th in the Premier League, hinting at the nuanced nature of what a successful season at the Emirates would look like.
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou with the Europa League trophy on May 25, 2025
Does Mikel Arteta have to win the Premier League title?
If the 2025 summer window was taken in isolation, it would be unfair to say that Arsenal have to win the title given champions Liverpool spent more than £400m, breaking the record for the most spent in a single window by any club.
When looking at Arteta's overall time at the Emirates, the Spaniard is arguably under the most scrutiny he has ever been during his managerial career given he has spent in the region of £1b on his squad since taking over in 2019.
Though the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have spent more in that period, the two clubs won trophies in that time, and Arteta has had the freedom to mould his squad to his liking.
Arsenal also spent close to £250m in the summer of 2025 despite only raising £6.7m in sales, so it is hard to remove the burden of expectation on the Londoners to win the Premier League title in 2025-26.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured on August 23, 2025
Can Arsenal win the 2025-26 Champions League?
Arsenal added significantly to their squad and now have the depth required to compete on multiple fronts, so perhaps the club will have a strong chance of winning the Champions League.
The Gunners reached the semi-finals of the competition last term but were eliminated by eventual tournament champions Paris Saint-Germain, though the Londoners did miss a number of chances to score in both legs.
Arteta's side are among the best defensive teams in Europe, and now that they can call upon the likes of Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera as extra cover in defence, they should be confident of maintaining narrow leads in the knockout stages.
Arsenal should also have enough firepower to overturn deficits given they signed Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres, but the unpredictable nature of knockout football makes it difficult to say they are outright favourites for the trophy.
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