Mikel Arteta has shared that he missed watching the decisive draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City, which secured Arsenal the Premier League title, because he was busy barbecuing at home.
In his first public comments since Arsenal clinched the title, Arteta expressed the “relief” he felt in silencing his critics and stated, “Now we want more.”
Arsenal captured their first league title in 22 years on Tuesday after Bournemouth’s 1-1 draw with Pep Guardiola’s squad. While most first-team players and staff celebrated together at the London Colney training facility, Arteta wasn’t present until later that evening for a party in London.
During his news conference on Thursday, Arteta recounted that evening and shared the amusing reason for his absence.
“It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Arteta said.
“I was meant to be here at Colney, watching the game with the boys… but I had to leave before the game. I didn’t have the energy I wanted to bring, and it was important for them to have that moment together and witness the outcome themselves.
“I went home, stepped into the garden, started a fire, and began grilling without watching any of it. I only heard muffled sounds from the living room until suddenly, the magic happened.
“My oldest son burst through the garden door, sprinting toward me, tears in his eyes, hugging me and saying, ‘We are champions, Daddy.’ Then my other two boys and my wife joined us—it was a beautiful moment, full of their adrenaline.”
“About a minute later, Martin [Ødegaard] called me on video, asking where I was. I told them to enjoy the moment and I’d see them in a few hours in London. It was a beautiful experience.”
While Arsenal’s players celebrated exuberantly on social media—some with sporting director Andrea Berta—Arteta expressed no regrets about missing the live event.
“It was their moment,” he emphasized. “They needed to be themselves. If I had been there, the atmosphere wouldn’t have been the same. I’m happy for them—they truly enjoyed it, and we had our moment together a few hours later.”
Arteta also revealed that he had a conversation with Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola since the match, acknowledging that he previously feared the Cherries had cost Arsenal the title when they defeated them 2-1 at the Emirates in April.
“I didn’t just message him; I called him,” Arteta explained. “I congratulated him on the fantastic job he’s done with Bournemouth. I told him he nearly took the Premier League away from us but then helped us win it on the final week!
“I reached out to express my admiration and wish him the best for his future endeavors, which I’m sure will be successful.”
– Rumor of holiday for Arsenal fans? It’s false, says Botswana
– Luis Enrique: Arsenal is the best team in the world off the ball
– Arsenal players host early morning meet-up at Emirates
As Arsenal prepares to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in just over a week, Arteta admitted he has questioned whether he was the right person to lead the team to a title at various points.
He added: “There are so many emotions—joy, happiness, pride, and indeed relief.
“But what I’m most proud of is how we achieved this. We demonstrated a significant value, both in sports and in life: perseverance. We stayed resilient and composed even when doubts were cast upon us. I’ve pondered whether I’m good enough to guide this team to win a major trophy.
“You can’t validate yourself until you do it. I considered the best approach and sought inspiration from external sources. But ultimately, you need to carve your own path.
“The key takeaway here is to remain humble, curious, and dedicated to your goals. If you give your all, you increase your chances of success, and you’ve seen how hard we’ve worked toward this for three years. This season, we made it happen.
“Of course, now we want more, and we have the biggest challenge ahead in Budapest in just a few days.”
Having been league runners-up for the past three seasons, Arsenal faced accusations of “bottling” their title aspirations after losing the top spot following a 2-1 defeat at Manchester City on April 19.
However, they made a strong comeback, winning four consecutive matches without conceding, and Arteta reflected: “In our profession, it’s crucial to respect all opinions. The challenge is to categorize those opinions appropriately.
“Some can be incredibly helpful and provide insight you might otherwise overlook, while others serve merely to sow discord. You must distance yourself from the latter to avoid affecting your team, which is critical as a manager.”
This report utilized information from PA.