Arteta vows Champions League revenge after PSG final defeat: 'I have poison in my veins'

Mikel Arteta has declared that the sting of Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain is still coursing through him, using the loss as fuel as he begins a new contract that runs until 2030 and makes him the Premier League’s highest-paid manager at nearly £20 million per year.

Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title in May, but the triumph was shadowed by a penalty shootout defeat to PSG in Budapest on May 30 — just 11 days after lifting the league trophy. The match had finished 1-1 after 90 minutes. Asked by The Athletic whether the loss had left the kind of mark Arsène Wenger once described as a “scar on my heart”, Arteta was direct.

“I still have the scar, like Arsene says. I still have that poison in my veins,” Arteta said. “It has to stay there because that’s when you learn and that probably is going to be a massive driver for me and everybody.”

Arteta took charge at the Emirates in December 2019 and has transformed a club that finished eighth in his first full season into Premier League champions. The new deal, confirmed this week by Arsenal’s owners, rewards that progress and ties him to the club for a further four years.

Beyond the immediate hurt of Budapest, Arteta spoke expansively about his vision for sustaining Arsenal’s rise. “How are we going to build the next three squads? Great,” he said. “How the rules of the game are going to change us, and how we’re going to stay ahead of that to take advantage? Great. But this is going to happen if every single day we look after what we built. We make it a little bit better, like software that is upgrading and upgrading.”

On committing his future to north London, Arteta added: “It’s a privilege to commit my future to the club and to continue to work with exceptional people who want the best for Arsenal. This club is unique, its character and the way it makes you feel, and I have a great sense of privilege that our journey together will continue.”

Arsenal return to action on Saturday against Leeds following a three-week international break, before turning their attention to the Champions League and a group-stage fixture against Lille.