Keeping the title is hard, but Arteta's Arsenal is different

Defending a title is hard, both physically and mentally. Even so, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal is well built for this process. Writer Adam Bate argues that if the manager reads this psychology correctly, it can help the team sustain its success.

Bate points to the words of Phil Jackson, the most successful coach in NBA history. Known for his 11 championships, Jackson writes in his book Eleven Rings that the year after a title is always the hardest. According to Jackson, egos come to the fore, and the harmony a team felt only months earlier can suddenly fall apart. Rick Fox, a three-time NBA champion, compares the situation to winning an Oscar.

Arsenal won the Premier League for the first time in 22 years. Arteta and the club had waited a long time for this success. According to Bate, Arteta's real task is to stop this achievement from looking like an endpoint for the team. The club's history also offers an easy tool for motivation. In the eras of Bertie Mee, George Graham and Arsene Wenger, the title could not be defended, and none of the club's managers had managed to achieve this. That is why achieving it would be a great honour for Arteta.

Losing the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain was not pleasant for the team. However, Bate believes that this defeat also stopped the team from considering its job done. The sad mood in Budapest quickly turned into a challenge. Declan Rice said they would use this experience as strength for the seasons ahead and that there was no reason to stop. Rice added that they would be stronger next year and ready again.

After ten matches in the Premier League, Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the table and are favourites to retain the title. In the Champions League they are third and have not lost yet. They have the best defensive record in both competitions.