Mikel Arteta is of the opinion that there could be another Invincibles team in the future, as he believes that all records are eventually surpassed.
Last Saturday, Manchester City’s unexpected defeat to Wolves left only Arsenal and their rivals Tottenham as the sole unbeaten teams in the top flight coming into this weekend, when they face the English champions.
While Arteta refrained from predicting that either of them would replicate the remarkable achievements of Arsene Wenger’s 2003-04 Invincibles by going undefeated for an entire league campaign, he certainly hasn’t ruled it out for the future.
Arteta recognizes that Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Treble-winning City side has consistently rewritten Premier League history while securing three consecutive titles. When asked if he is relieved that City cannot achieve it this time, Arteta, whose team trails Guardiola’s men by one point, stated, “It’s a great record to hold. It shows the achievement and difficulty of that task because no-one else has been able to do it.”
“I don’t know if it can be done again. 100 points…it was never done before. And to score a record amount of goals and have the most clean sheets – all these things are great things to do. Things are there to be broken. Probably one day somebody will do it.”
Having previously worked for three and a half years as Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad, Arteta is well-acquainted with the qualities of arguably the Premier League’s greatest-ever team.
He acknowledges that his North London team is not yet on the same level, despite finishing as runners-up in last year’s title race. Arteta added, “They have set standards nobody else has seen in this league, ever. That’s the reality. No team has ever done what they have in terms of consistency. That’s unquestionable. To be the best, we need to be better than them. You know where the temperature is – and how much you have to raise it.”
“But we have not won any Premier Leagues. From zero to three in a row – what City have done – we are very far away. It’s not only winning but the way you play and win. They do it every single game.”
However, there is one exception, which occurred at Molineux, where Guardiola was suspended and watched the setback from the stands. This approach is sometimes seen in football, as well as in rugby, where World Cup coaches oversee operations and tactics from high up in the stadium. When it comes to Arteta, known for his animated presence on the touchline, adopting a more considered approach, it might not be as unlikely as one might think.
The 42-year-old Spaniard revealed, “I spoke to Sam and when he explained the arguments why he did it, it was just brilliant. He was ahead of the game, managing yourself in a way that can make the team better. The view is much much better, that’s for sure. It’s something to really think about…maybe it’s the right thing to do.”
Expected Arsenal lineup: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Trossard, Havertz, Jesus.
Arsenal performance and stats
Arsenal is currently 3rd in the Premier League with 17 points.
In the last 7 games, it has won 5 times and drawn twice. In its last match, Arsenal won 0-4 against AFC Bournemouth.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 15 goals and conceding 6.
Arsenal will play the next match in Premier League against Manchester City on Sunday 8th of October in London. The prediction is Manchester City winning the match.
