Mikel Arteta makes Arsenal admission after clinching Premier League title | OneFootball

Gunners won first title since 2004 on Tuesday

Mikel Arteta admitted he doubted at times whether he would be good enough to lead Arsenal to major silverware.

After three seasons in a row of finishing second in the league, Arsenal have finally go over the line and become domestic champions.

It has been a rollercoaster for the Gunners since the turn of the year and particularly in the past couple of months, from having the chance to go 12 points clear in early April to having their lead at the top wiped out completely.

Finally, though, after years of near misses and frustration, Arsenal have delivered and they will lift the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Arsenal were a mess when Arteta took charge in December 2019 and it has far from a simple journey to the top.

"We won the league, but I'm most proud of how we won it," Arteta said.

"Because we showed a very important value, not only in sport, but in life as well, which is perseverance, to be resilient, to be composed in moments when people are doubting.

"To be vulnerable, because I've asked that question to myself, am I good enough to lead this team, this club, these players, to win a major trophy? Until you do it, you cannot validate yourself.

"And I thought about many ways, what is the best way to do it? We have to bring people from outside and speakers to inspire them. And then you have to find your own way. The big lesson here is to stay humble, stay curious, and focus on the point of what you want to achieve.

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Magalhaes celebrate

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"And you give your very best, you give yourself a good chance, and we've given ourselves a very good chance for three years, and this season we've done it."

Defeat to Manchester City last month threatened to unravel Arsenal's season, but they gathered themselves after that match and have won all four league matches since then without conceding a goal

Arteta's framing of the run-in as a "new league" has paid off and appeared to lift some of the pressure on the shoulders of his players.

However, Arteta went back further, to a meeting he held at the training ground with the players before the trip to Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season, as a standout moment.

"We have so much footage that probably will explain a bit the story of the season," Arteta said.

"One of the main ones was a meeting that we had here next to the tree when I got all the players together. I told them to look at each other, look at the squad that we built over the summer and that we are capable of everything.

"That we can be very, very good. It only depends on us and on our behaviours and everybody understanding the role I'm going to have daily or on the day, to give the best for the team.

"And once they realised that, I think we went to a different level."

Arteta planted a tree earlier in his Arsenal reign at the training ground. He emphasised to the players the importance of the roots and the slow improvements, rather than only what can be seen above the surface.

That has remained important symbolism for Arteta and the pre-United team meeting was one that held particular significance for the Arsenal manager.

"Normally we have a lot of people and staff there, it was the players and myself," Arteta said.

"And we talk about the role. What is my role? How do I feel about them? And every decision I make is to try to impact their lives in a positive way.

"And any decision that I make is because it's my job to make it, so don't take it personally and just try to sum up and impact the team in the manner that we can.

"It was one of them, but I think that to extract the best qualities of the players and all the resources that we had in the squad, I think that one was memorable."