Mourinho’s Early Call on Arteta Looks Prophetic as Arsenal Celebrate and Chase Europe
Well, would you look at that. After 22 long years, Arsenal are kings of England again. The title was sealed on Tuesday night as Manchester City slipped to a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, leaving the Gunners on 82 points, four clear with just one game to go. Now it’s all eyes on Budapest on May 30, where a date with Paris Saint-Germain awaits—and the chance to land the big one for the first time in the club’s history.
Mourinho saw the rise years ago
Plenty doubted Mikel Arteta during the sticky spells, but Jose Mourinho never bought into the noise. The pair have faced off three times in the dugout, with Mourinho winning two of those when he was Spurs boss. Yet even in victory—after a 2-0 Spurs win in December 2020—the Portuguese made a point of praising what Arteta was building: a side drilled in the details, clever with their buildup shape, compact without the ball, and sharp creating overloads out wide. His message back then? Give this bloke time and Arsenal will start to look like Arsenal again.
Fast forward to tonight, and you can almost hear Mourinho’s words echoing around north London. Arteta’s blueprint has matured: discipline matched by daring, structure laced with swagger. The result? A Premier League crown, an end to a six-year trophy drought, and a squad that looks every inch a modern powerhouse.
From nearly men to serial contenders
Three straight seasons of coming up just short had some wondering if Arsenal were destined to blink at the finish. Leads wobbled, nerves frayed, and the old doubts returned. Not this time. The Gunners have shown steel in the big moments, learned how to manage tight games, and found a ruthless edge that champions simply must have. Arteta hasn’t just built a good team—he’s built a convincing argument that this is sustainable.
With boardroom backing and a fanbase fully behind him, Arteta goes to Budapest with a shot at immortality and a realistic ambition to go back-to-back in the league next season. That’s how you turn momentum into a movement.
Budapest beckons: the next statement
PSG will test Arsenal in ways the Premier League can’t—stretches of possession to manage, transitions to snuff out, and moments of stardust to survive. But Arsenal have grown into a side that relishes responsibility. Control the midfield, keep the press cohesive, be clinical at both ends—that’s the brief. Get it right and you’re not just English champions; you’re European royalty.
Fancied a flutter on the double? Before Budapest, have a look at the markets on our best betting sites and see how the odds-makers rate Arsenal’s tilt at history.
The final word
Mourinho called it early, and he called it right: back Arteta and the identity returns. Arsenal have cashed in domestically—and if they finish the job in Europe, we’ll be talking about the start of an era, not just the end of a wait.
