Mikel Arteta knows a Premier League title challenge will be “even harder” next season and beyond, but this Arsenal team proved their long-term credentials.
It was interpreted by at least one sensationalist outlet as a Mikel Arteta ‘fear’ – the idea that this season might represent the best chance his iteration of Arsenal will ever have of winning the Premier League title.
The point would not be difficult to understand. Arsenal have benefited from a perfect storm of their own phenomenal management and the sheer incompetence of many of the usual contenders. Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs all ought to be better next campaign than this, with a well-oiled Newcastle introduced to the mix.
And even if lightning does strike twice at those clubs, Manchester City have reached a stage of omnipotence whereby they can create their own challengers by giving them two brilliant players, one excellent coach and a considerable points advantage, just to add a sense of jeopardy to their Treble pursuit.
As Arteta himself said before the trip to Newcastle: “Next season looks like it is going to be even harder.”
The manager declared this “the best time” to win the Premier League title “because you don’t know when you are going to have another opportunity,” but on the evidence of their stunning victory it won’t be long.
A trip to St James’ Park with everything on the line in May did make for an irresistible comparison. The capitulation against the Magpies almost a year ago confirmed the surrender of a Champions League qualification place, while providing a collective determination which has dragged them through this campaign. The fear was that history would repeat itself, that those last remnants of hope would be extinguished, that Arsenal would bottle it again. The reality was that they proved their progress in the most clear terms.
Newcastle did start sensationally, against the backdrop of a home stadium roar. Jacob Murphy hit the post, Alexander Isak had a goal-bound shot block and a penalty was awarded when Jakub Kiwior was adjudged to have handballed a Bruno Guimaraes effort.
It was correctly disallowed after what Graeme Le Saux wryly described as “73 replays”, and on that moment the game turned. Newcastle had four shots in the opening eight minutes, culminating in that penalty shout. They were behind by their next one as Arsenal regrouped.
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