Arteta learns from Sir Alex Ferguson to bring Arsenal back to the top

Coach Mikel Arteta conveys a key lesson from Sir Alex Ferguson regarding defensive play, guiding Arsenal towards winning the Premier League this year.

Mikel Arteta has delivered a profound message to his Arsenal players, inspired by the legendary Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Ahead of the Arsenal vs Crystal Palace match, Arteta emphasized that defensive philosophy is the foundation for pursuing trophies — a view that clearly reflects his and the Gunners’ ambition to win the Premier League.

Sir Alex Ferguson won 38 major trophies with Manchester United between 1986 and 2013. Additionally, the legendary coach is famous for the saying: "Strikers can win matches, but defenders win you the big titles."Before the Crystal Palace game, Arteta stated: "He is right. We defend to attack better. But the primary goal remains to keep a clean sheet. We maintain that mindset."

This season, Arsenal boasts the best defense in the Premier League, conceding only 3 goals in the first 8 matches. However, the team might lose Gabriel for the Palace game due to injury. Arteta said: "Gabriel had to leave the pitch during the Atletico Madrid match with a minor issue. He hasn’t been able to train yet, so we’ll see how he progresses over the next 24 hours." In this situation, Cristhian Mosquera may partner with William Saliba to ensure defensive solidity.

Besides maintaining a strong defense, Arteta highlights a higher goal: winning trophies: "We want records like these; we’ve already achieved quite a few. Ultimately, the objective is trophies, the cups. But clearly, the more records we set, the closer we get to that goal." The Spanish coach also reminded his players about consistency throughout the season: "The defense is performing very well, but we need to keep stable; it’s still early in the season. Our aim is continuous improvement, and there’s plenty more we can do better."

Arsenal is targeting their first Premier League title since the 2003/04 season, after finishing as runners-up for three consecutive years. With Ferguson’s defensive message and Arteta’s determination, the Gunners have a strong chance to realize their championship dream. Can Arsenal maintain their consistency and protect their defense to become champions this season?