Spanish coach Mikel Arteta sent a strongly worded and enthusiastic message to his Arsenal players, urging them to break the “New Year’s curse” that has plagued the club for many years, as part of his relentless efforts to boost the Gunners’ chances of winning the English Premier League title for the first time since the golden era in 2004.
Arsenal finished 2025 atop the Premier League table, comfortably four points ahead of their closest rivals, defending champions Manchester City, following a resounding and well-deserved 4-1 victory over third-placed Aston Villa. This win was more than just three points; it was a clear declaration of intent that the London club is serious about its quest to return to the top and claim its fourteenth league title, an achievement it has been waiting for for over two decades since its historic "Invincibles" era.
The complex of history and the challenge of numbers
Despite their strong performances, Arsenal face a formidable historical and psychological challenge. In the five previous instances over the past 23 years where they finished the calendar year top of the league, they ultimately failed to lift the trophy. The most recent disappointment came just three seasons ago when they finished five points behind champions Manchester City – a scenario fans fear will be repeated.
Commenting on this worrying statistic on the eve of facing Bournemouth in the twentieth round, Arteta confirmed that he was not fully aware of these figures, but he explicitly called on his team to “break this rule” and change history, stressing that records are made to be broken.
Thirst for titles and a clash of titans
The Spanish coach revealed that the dressing room is experiencing an unprecedented hunger to win the title that has eluded them for the past three seasons, where they have bitterly settled for second place. Arteta added, describing his players' mentality: “This passion is what you feel every day when they are with us, whether in training or in every match. You can see the burning desire and the immense energy they expend, and that is exactly what we need to compete with teams of Manchester City's caliber.”.
This rivalry takes on particular significance as Arsenal seek to end City's continued dominance and prove that Arteta's project has matured enough to conquer English football, not just compete for the title. The manager realistically added: "We still have five long and challenging months ahead of us. We have to take it one step at a time, enjoy being at the top, and keep moving forward without looking back.".
High spirits and preparations for the Bournemouth match
Arteta indicated that his players are in high spirits after their dominant performance against Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, capitalizing on Manchester City's goalless draw with Sunderland on Thursday, which extended their lead at the top of the table. He added: “The atmosphere was fantastic, of course, after beating such a strong opponent. Our focus is now entirely on Bournemouth. We know it will be a difficult game tomorrow, and everyone will be fully prepared.”.
Regarding the squad, Arsenal has faced numerous injury challenges this season, but received a huge boost with the return of Brazilian duo Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Jesus. However, doubts remain over midfielder Declan Rice's participation in Saturday's trip to Bournemouth, after he missed the recent win against Villa. Arteta concluded his remarks on Rice's situation by saying, "We have another training session today. Let's see how he feels, but that game against Villa was too soon for him to return.".
