SBOTOP : Mikel Arteta Drops a Bold New Arsenal Motto “Attack,” Not Defend

Arsenal may enter the 2026/27 Premier League season as defending champions, but Mikel Arteta does not want his players thinking like a team protecting something they already have.

For the Arsenal manager, the mindset is completely different.

Instead of talking about defending the Premier League title, Arteta prefers a much more aggressive phrase: attack it.

The Spanish coach made the point clearly during an interview with Men in Blazers. When asked about Arsenal defending their league crown, Arteta immediately corrected the terminology with a smile.

“Attack! That’s what we’re going to do,” Arteta said.

The statement perfectly captures the mentality he wants Arsenal to carry into another demanding Premier League campaign.

Arteta Wants Arsenal to Chase More Success

Winning the Premier League was a major achievement for Arsenal and Arteta. After years of rebuilding, the Gunners finally reached the top and gave their supporters another league title to celebrate.

However, Arteta does not want that success to become the final destination.

The Arsenal manager admitted that celebrating the title with his players and staff created memories that would stay with him for the rest of his life. Yet, he immediately shifted the focus toward the future.

“Now I have an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life, sharing that moment with all the players and staff on the bus,” Arteta explained.

“But now we want more and I want to create something much bigger with the club.”

That desire for more could become one of Arsenal’s biggest strengths this season.

Rather than becoming satisfied after reaching the summit, Arteta wants the squad to use its previous success as motivation.

Arteta’s message to Arsenal is clear:

1. Do not become comfortable after winning the title.
2. Keep pushing for more trophies.
3. Start the new season with the same hunger.
4. Treat every match as part of another title challenge.
5. Build on the foundations created over recent seasons.

Arsenal Have Built the Foundation

Arteta believes Arsenal are now in a much stronger position than they were several years ago.

The club has developed its playing identity, strengthened the squad and created a culture focused on competing at the highest level.

According to Arteta, the foundations required for success have already been established. The next challenge is to take Arsenal even further.

“We have created the foundations that we wanted and now we want to achieve something much bigger as a club,” he said.

That statement is particularly important because Arsenal’s ambitions extend beyond simply winning another Premier League title.

The Gunners want to become a club capable of competing for major honours consistently. That requires maintaining high standards even after achieving success.

Arteta’s approach suggests that the Premier League title is not the conclusion of Arsenal’s project. Instead, it is another starting point.

Arteta Echoes Jurgen Klopp’s Famous Philosophy

Interestingly, Arteta’s choice of words is not entirely new in football.

Jurgen Klopp previously used a similar approach when Liverpool entered a season as defending Premier League champions.

In 2020, Klopp questioned the idea of simply “defending” the title because the champions still had to chase the trophy from the beginning of a new campaign.

The philosophy was straightforward. Every team starts again from zero points, meaning the previous title does not automatically provide an advantage.

Liverpool ultimately failed to retain their Premier League crown the following season.

Now, Arteta faces a similar challenge with Arsenal.

The Gunners must prove that their title-winning campaign was not a one-off achievement. They need to demonstrate consistency, resilience and the ability to handle the additional pressure that comes with being champions.

Arsenal’s Hunger Could Be a Major Advantage

One of the most encouraging aspects for Arteta is the attitude he sees within his squad.

The Arsenal manager does not believe his players have become complacent after winning the league.

Instead, he sees a group that wants to experience the same emotions again.

“The energy of everybody is, ‘I want to do it again. I want to feel that emotion again,’” Arteta said.

“That is like something that is inside you. I really want to feel that again.”

That hunger could be crucial during a long Premier League season.

Winning the title requires consistency across dozens of matches. Injuries, pressure, difficult away fixtures and intense competition can all test a team’s mentality.

Arsenal will also have to deal with opponents who are determined to knock the champions off the top.

The Challenge Starts From Day One

Arteta understands that motivation alone will not be enough.

The Arsenal boss knows his players must turn their ambition into performances immediately.

The new Premier League campaign offers no time for complacency. Every dropped point could become significant, particularly with several teams capable of challenging near the top of the table.

Arteta therefore wants Arsenal to approach the season with the mentality of a team chasing the title rather than protecting it.

“We have to start from day one and realise that this is going to demand a lot from everyone,” he said.

“But we have the ability to do it and we can feel that again.”

That message could become an important theme throughout Arsenal’s season.

Can Arsenal Turn the Words Into Action?

Arteta’s “attack, not defend” philosophy sounds simple, but putting it into practice will be considerably more difficult.

Arsenal will have to deal with the pressure that comes with being champions while maintaining the intensity that helped them reach the top.

The squad must remain hungry even after experiencing the ultimate domestic success. At the same time, Arteta will need to manage players carefully throughout a season filled with Premier League and European commitments.

The expectations are now higher than before.

For Arsenal supporters, however, that pressure can also be viewed as a positive sign. It means the club has returned to a position where winning trophies is no longer simply an ambition. It is an expectation.

Arteta’s message is therefore more than a clever change of wording. It represents the mentality he wants Arsenal to embrace.

They are not entering the 2026/27 Premier League season simply to protect what they achieved.

They are going after it again.