"A terrible mistake" - The moment "very low" Arteta almost quit Arsenal | OneFootball

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is now a Premier League champion, but there was a moment early on in his reign that he apparently considered quitting.

The Spanish tactician took over in the 2019/20 season and it took some time for him to really turn the Gunners into a serious team again.

Early on in the following campaign, Arsenal were in a really poor run of form, winning just once in ten Premier League games between October 17th and December 19th.

According to the Independent, it was around that time that Arteta felt like he’d made “a terrible mistake” and was feeling “very low” about the situation at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta inherited “toxic” atmosphere at Arsenal

The report also claims that the atmosphere inside Arsenal was described as “toxic” when Arteta took over, with some players clearly having a negative impact.

Although no specific names are mentioned in the report, it sounds like Arteta had to deal with some players who would fake injuries to get out of certain games they didn’t fancy.

Even going back to his time as a player at Arsenal, Arteta apparently noticed the habit of some players to mentally check out before the end of the season and start thinking about their holidays.

Given how bad things were, it’s not surprising that the 44-year-old had serious questions about if he could turn things around after that poor run of form in the winter of 2020.

Arsenal now chasing historic double

Arsenal have been transformed under Arteta and they’re now set to lift the Premier League trophy after their final game away to Crystal Palace this weekend before gearing up for their clash against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

It could end up being one of the greatest seasons in Arsenal’s history if they get their hands on their first ever European Cup, perhaps even eclipsing the achievement of going the entire season unbeaten under Arsene Wenger in 2003/04.

Even if Arsenal miss out, the fact that they’re back at this level at all given the mess the club was in when Arteta took over seems like a minor miracle.