Arteta insists Arsenal's ambition is bigger after Premier League title win

Mikel Arteta has declared that Arsenal’s “ambition is bigger” heading into Saturday’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest, rejecting the idea that winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years has eased the burden on his players.

The Gunners are chasing a historic double — a feat made all the more significant by the fact that Arsenal have never won the European Cup in their history. Arteta was emphatic that lifting the Premier League title has only sharpened his squad’s appetite rather than satisfied it.

“The ambition is bigger. We have one, and now we want the second one. That’s all we’ve been talking about,” Arteta said. “There has to be a platform to reach bigger destinations and to aim for more. And the team is capable, because we’ve shown it in the last two seasons, in this competition.”

Arteta framed the final as a moment for his players to seize, noting it is only the second time in the club’s history that they have reached this stage. “I want the players to be so confident that we’re going to win,” he said. “It’s the opportunity to own the moment, because we have the opportunity tomorrow to write a new chapter in the history of this football club. And in order to do that, we have to play with such clarity, a lot of courage, and a relentless desire to win.”

The Arsenal manager acknowledged that PSG, as defending champions, will enter the match as favourites, but he was unequivocal about his side’s belief. “They are defending the trophy, so they were the last ones that had the right to lift that trophy, and they are actually the champions, and we are here to take that away from them,” Arteta said.

He added that the experience of winning the league title has only intensified the desire within the squad. “Going through those moments brings you a different kind of desire, because you lift it, you know exactly how it feels, and you want to reproduce that feeling as many times as possible. And tomorrow we have the opportunity to do that.”

Arteta closed by acknowledging the weight of the occasion for a club of Arsenal’s stature. “It would mean something new for all of us, and we know how tough it is in a club like Arsenal to write a new history. But that’s the aim, and that’s why we are all so excited and we have such a desire to make it happen.”