Mikel Arteta says early mistakes in the Arsenal job shaped the team now leading both domestic and European campaigns. Arsenal enter matchday 22 six points clear of Manchester City in the Premier League. The team also top their Champions League group and hold the upper hand in their EFL Cup semi-final.
Arsenal visit Nottingham Forest at The City Ground on Saturday, aiming to respond after a 0-0 league draw with Liverpool. That result halted momentum in the title race, yet Arsenal still control first place. The fixture offers another test of consistency in a demanding schedule across three major competitions.
Arteta explained that perspective came from his first months in charge, after replacing Unai Emery in December 2019. Arteta quickly delivered
an FA Cup triumph that season, but has not lifted another major trophy since. Across the last three league campaigns, Arsenal finished second three times, twice behind Manchester City and once behind Liverpool.
Reflecting on those early stages, Arteta accepted that the balance was wrong. "At the beginning, the focus was probably too much on the tactical aspect, and that means you overload them with information," he told TNT Sports. "How important is the emotional part? When you connect and understand how the player reacts better to your demands. that's when you touch the right button. "
Focused on all fronts. Sobha Realty Training Centre pic.twitter.com/tzPgcxc1YRArsenal (@Arsenal) January 17, 2026
This season, Arsenal combine that emotional focus with strong numbers at both ends of the pitch. Excluding penalties, no Premier League side has more set-piece goals, with Arsenal scoring 14 from such situations. At the same time, Arsenal have allowed only 14 league goals, the lowest figure in the division so far.
Arteta also stressed the importance of spelling out expectations in simple terms for the squad. "Be clear what you mean by the standards," he said. "Because standards, basics, habits, these can be very big words if they are not specific. So, tell them exactly what you want from them. What is the standard? Is it just the hours, the standards you train with, how you react with body language, how you prepare for games? In the end, it's about the actions you take that represent those words. "
Arteta’s reflections show how Arsenal’s current position is linked to lessons taken from that 2019 starting point. Tactical detail, emotional understanding and clear standards now sit together at the core of Arsenal’s work. The coming weeks will reveal whether that mix keeps Arsenal ahead in league, Europe and domestic cups.
