'The next few weeks a blend of excitement and dread'
The next few weeks will define Mikel Arteta's reign at Arsenal. With the Gunners entering the run-in as Premier League leaders, as well as still in contention for the FA Cup and Champions League, the season is all about the cold hard currency of trophies. It is these weeks that will define whether Arteta is the visionary who restored Arsenal to glory, or the maybe-man who couldn't quite go the whole way.
[BBC] [Getty Images] All roads lead to Rome. And all footballing projects must lead to silverware. The next few weeks will define Mikel Arteta's reign at Arsenal.
With the Gunners entering the run-in as Premier League leaders, as well as still in contention for the FA Cup and Champions League, the season is all about the cold hard currency of trophies. It is these weeks that will define whether Arteta is the visionary who restored Arsenal to glory, or the maybe-man who couldn't quite go the whole way. The second-place finishes for the past two seasons have been agonising, but it doesn't have to be that way this time around.
There is a version of this story that doesn't involve heartbreak, shredded nerves and unhealthy heart rates. Winning this title race requires Arsenal to do what they've been doing all season, which is finding a way to win. In previous years, the title has slipped out of their control, leaving fans praying for Manchester City to falter.
This time is different and it simply has to be easier. Minute by minute, game by game, just win. There may be an undertone of desperation in my words.