Arteta won't settle for one trophy after Arsenal's Premier League coronation
Mikel Arteta won't let Arsenal rest after winning the Premier League. He wants Champions League glory too, and they're facing PSG in Budapest.
Arsenal's just won the league for the first time in 22 years. You'd think Mikel Arteta might take a breath, maybe enjoy it. Nope. He's already got his eyes on Budapest and the Champions League final against PSG on Saturday, and he's made it clear this team isn't done hunting.
"We have one, and now we want the second one," Arteta said, basically shutting down any talk about Arsenal being satisfied with their domestic dominance. The manager's basically saying: yeah, great, we're champions—but this isn't where the ambition stops.
PSG are the favorites, which makes sense. They knocked Arsenal out of the semis last year and went on to win the whole thing—their first European crown. Since then, they've demolished Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich on their way to the final. So they're battle-hardened, they've beaten the best, and they're hungry to keep the trophy.
But Arsenal aren't exactly pushovers anymore. That Premier League win? That's the real proof they've become genuine contenders again. And Arteta seems to believe Saturday's another game they can win.
The one bit of good news for Arsenal: Jurriën Timber looks set to return. The Dutch defender's been out since March 14 (that Everton match) with a groin injury, but Arteta's confirmed he's back fit. Having him available in a final matters—he's a solid, reliable presence on the flank.
So yeah, Arsenal could've coasted into Budapest satisfied. Instead, they're showing up with that chip-on-the-shoulder energy. Twenty-two years waiting for a league title will do that to you. But now they want to prove they can win the biggest competitions too. PSG probably didn't want to see this version of Arsenal in the final.