
Double & quits! Would Premier League & Champions League wins lead Mikel Arteta to reconsider Arsenal contract extension or fuel desire to emulate Arsene Wenger?
Trophies won by Arteta as head coach of Arsenal
Having seen Unai Emery struggle to deliver under the pressure of following in Arsene Wenger’s illustrious footsteps, Arteta - who had been working alongside Pep Guardiola at Manchester City - returned to Emirates Stadium in December 2019.
He had no experience of heading up a coaching team at that point, but settled quickly into the most demanding of roles and oversaw an FA Cup success in 2020 - followed by a Community Shield win later that year. Another victory in English football’s traditional curtain-raiser to the new campaign was all that Arteta had to show for his effort across the next five years.
Arsenal were
Questions were inevitably asked of collective “bottle” and Arteta’s ability to deliver the grandest of major honours. A positive answer was finally delivered in 2025-26 when
Would a double win lead to Arteta mulling over his options?
Arsenal are looking to hoist that iconic piece of silverware aloft for the first time. If they succeeded, could Arteta - whose current deal is only due to run until the summer of 2027 - be
When that question was put to Parlour, the Gunners great - speaking in association with
“I remember having talks with Edu and how the club stayed on. I think the fact that they were able to come out on the other side and be successful is really what everyone will cherish.
“It's so easy to just change and bring another manager in, but if you stick with people, you believe in people, you give them the resources and then you come out better on the other side and you actually win something, it just makes the story so much better and it proves that the stability and the belief in the project works if you really believe.”
Can Arteta emulate the longevity of Wenger in north London?
Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke has said that
Pressed on whether Arteta can go someway towards emulating Wenger’s 22 years at the helm, Parlour - who worked under Le Professeur - added: “Why wouldn't he and why wouldn't they? The stability he’s given Arsenal, and this is part of Arsenal's DNA, and it's given them the platform to be able to fight and be contenders in each competition.
“It's amazing, the consistency over the last few years and now this year again. Also, the change of sporting director, Andrea Berta, who came in this year, signed the players and really went for the targets and added depth to the squad. It really shows how well this Arsenal Football Club is run and hopefully they can continue in that direction.”
Historic Champions League crown up for grabs in Hungary
Arteta has been eager to divert attention away from his future plans as Arsenal remain in contention for more prestigious trophies. He has stated on a regular basis that said issue will only be addressed when a memorable campaign comes to a close.
That point will be reached after