While an Arsenal of old may deem fourth place as a failure, since the departure of long-standing manager Arsene Wenger back in 2018 domestic success has been few and far between.
The Frenchman delivered a record 19 successive seasons of Champions League football for the Gunners, something which many fans must look on back on with retrospective guilt given how much they took advantage of such a feat, having not qualified for the competition in almost six years now.
Under Mikel Arteta however, a rejuvenated youthful squad is on the brink of a return to the top level of European football. The Gunners currently sit in fourth place, four points off local rivals Tottenham, who they face on Thursday night in what looks to be one of the biggest north London derbies for a very long time.
While they may only be fourth, Arsenal have the third-most wins in the league (behind the dominance of Manchester City and Liverpool) and are on track to outscore Manchester United’s 74 points which was enough for second last year.
There has been evident improvement since the Spaniard took over, and with the youngest squad in the league for almost every game-week this season, things only seem to be on the up for a group of fans who have so often been left disappointed in recent years.
Arteta remains grounded when asked about his squad and where they will be in the future, but Arsenal fans have a lot to be optimistic about. Even if they don’t manage to qualify for the Champions League this season, the improvement in almost every department is clear to see.
The former Gunners midfielder has brought positivity and confidence back to an otherwise toxic Emirates Stadium atmosphere. He has helped connect the fans back to the team and its players, and hearing the Champions League theme followed by their new-found anthem “The Angel” on a Tuesday night at the Emirates will be nothing short of a fairy-tale story for fans who have been through it all.
Arsenal announced a two-year extension to the Spaniard's contract last week, which was welcomed with an uproar of positivity and support from the fans. With young superstars like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli and now most recently Eddie Nketiah all thriving under Arteta’s guidance, hope and optimism for the future fills the Emirates air and both the board and fans patience in trusting the process seems to be beginning to be repaid by the squad and its results.
Only time will tell for the North London giants, but at the moment the future has never seemed brighter for Arsenal football club and Mikel Arteta.
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