Arteta believes the seeds of success were sown long before the first whistle of the season was blown. While many pointed to the club's heavy investment in the transfer market, the Spaniard insists that the psychological shift within the group during their summer preparations was the catalyst for their eventual glory.
Speaking to BeIN Sports, Arteta said: "The very first one probably came when we all came together in pre-season, the week before we played Manchester United. I got all the players together and asked them what they were happy to do for the team. They were happy to do anything for the team and I knew we had a big chance to compete in every competition because we had the depth and the quality to challenge."
He continued: "Their response was immediate and incredible and they weren’t just words – it’s easy to say it in a meeting, but then you need to produce it throughout a ten-month season. The boys deserve so much credit because they’ve done it in an incredible way."