Every process has limits of trust and for Mikel Arteta, this is the decisive moment, either successful, or leaving.
Arsenal have patiently given Arteta time, money and support. Now, it requires not only the FA Cup or League Cup, but the Premier League - a title that has been avoided for them for the past 23 years, or the Champions League in the future.
If Arteta does not bring home the silver cup, the question is, what reason does he have to continue to sit in the hot seat? Despite leaving at the end of the season, the Spanish strategist's legacy is still remarkable when he brought Arsenal back to the championship race. However, perhaps he was only the one who built the foundation, not the one who completed the project.
Arteta entered his 7th season with Arsenal with only 1 official title. Of the current managers in the Premier League, only Pep Guardiola has a 43-year-old seniority over the coach. Arteta's achievement so far has been the FA Cup title in 2020, with the majority of players left by Unai Emery.
During the same period, Man City won 4 Premier Leagues, 1 Champions League, many domestic cups and even the European Super Cup. Liverpool also have the Premier League, FA Cup and 2 League Cups. Chelsea have even won the Champions League, Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. Even Man United in crisis have FA Cups and League Cups, while Tottenham have won the Europa League.
Arsenal have been left empty-handed for many seasons. The problem is not just Man City's superiority. Last season, Arsenal had a golden opportunity when The Citizens declined but they could not take advantage, even the "Gunners" allowed Liverpool to take the lead and finish with a gap of 10 points less. That is a clear step back compared to being only 2 points behind Man City in the previous campaign.
Entering this season, Arsenal still showed their determination to change the color of the medals with a series of quality contracts arriving at the Emirates. However, all expectations became shaken after the match against Man United in round 1 of the Premier League.
Arteta's team was overwhelmed by the "Red Devils" for 90 minutes, luckily for them was thanks to Calafiori's lucky goal and the excellence of goalkeeper David Raya, The Gunners were able to return to London with 3 full points. However, the lack of vitality at Old Trafford was a warning for Arteta, he needed to rectify the system and help newcomers like Gyokeres integrate faster.
According to statistics from Transfermarkt, since winning the 2020 FA Cup, Arteta has spent more than any other coach in Europe with 672 million pounds. If including this summer, the figure has reached 860 million pounds. The Arsenal squad is currently valued as the most valuable in the Premier League.
Arsenal's recent signings show that Arteta is aiming for an immediate victory. Viktor Gyokeres (27 years old) is given priority over Benjamin Sesko (22 years old), Martin Zubimendi (26 years old) is also on the list. These are not investment deals for the future, it is a bet on the present of Mikel Arteta.
More importantly, the appearance of new sporting director Andrea Berta brings a different factor. If Berta sees Arteta still struggling to bring home the title, a change on the coaching bench could happen to the Gunners.
Arteta once shared: "We have to keep digging because one day gold will appear." The statement shows the Spanish coach's optimism that perseverance will ensure success. However, 6 seasons have passed and this campaign forces him to find "gold". Otherwise, a farewell, whether proactive or passive, will be given.
