Arteta's Bold Claim: No One Holds a Hunger Like Mine for the Premier League Crown

The Chase for the Premier League Title

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, stresses that there is no one with more drive, hunger, or desire than him to deliver the league crown for the London club.

The Gunners, who have not lifted the top trophy since 2004 and finished runners-up in the last three seasons, are trying to break the curse under the Spaniard’s leadership.

Arsenal widened their lead at the summit by seven points with 16 games left, meaning up to 48 points remain on offer and the title looks within reach.

With Manchester City’s title pursuit cooling and Liverpool trailing by 14 points, many see the trophy as increasingly within Arteta’s grasp.

Ahead of a pivotal clash with Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday, Arteta — whose only trophy in six years is the 2020 FA Cup — told ESPN that no one possesses greater drive to win the title.

He added that the path to glory is simple: stay focused, live in the moment, and do tomorrow what we did today better. That is all we can control; everything else may just sidetrack us.

In terms of selection, Arteta could give Victor Giocieris another chance against United, despite Gabriel Jesus’ bright form after scoring twice in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Giocieris had come on as a substitute in Italy and scored Arsenal’s third, but overall he has struggled in his first season with the club, tallying five league goals this term, compared with 97 in 102 appearances for Sporting before his move.

Arteta commented on the Swedish forward’s situation: we will judge him at the end of the season; until then, it may be too soon to draw conclusions, and we must understand the league’s nature and how forwards adapt during the campaign.

The Spaniard concluded there are many factors to consider when evaluating a player, and the assessment will be multi-faceted rather than based on a single aspect.

And for a touch of lightness to close, if Arsenal win the title, I promise I will stop shouting Come on you Gunners in my sleep—though I might still dream of coffee and croissants wearing a trophy cape. Sniper-level punchlines aside, the season is far from over, and the gunners aren’t done yet.