By Mekonnen Almaw
The Gunners, undeterred by becoming league champions, trained on Sunday evening ahead of their final league match of the season against Crystal Palace.
Additionally, with the Champions League final showdown against PSG awaiting them in 9 days, the Gunners are working hard to secure their second major trophy of the year.
Having already been crowned Premier League champions—and set to lift the trophy this Sunday evening after the Crystal Palace match—the Gunners have now shifted their full focus to the Champions League. During today’s training session, they were seen working exclusively with Champions League balls.
Despite winning the English Premier League title, the Gunners have not received a single "Congratulations" from any English club up to this very moment. Consequently, they seem entirely focused on the Champions League now.
As they began preparations for the next crucial match during today's open training session, some key players were missing from the squad. Mikel Merino: The versatile player, who has been sidelined for a long time due to injury, joined today's training late. His teammates gave him a warm "welcome back" reception after his long absence.
Jurrien Timber: On the other hand, the fullback remained absent from today's group training session as he has not yet fully recovered from his injury. Max Dowman: He was also absent from Arsenal's training today. It was explained that he had to go to school to take an exam.
Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and David Raya: It was also revealed that these three crucial players did not train with the rest of the squad.
However, it was clarified that their absence was not due to injury. Instead, to keep them safe from injury risks and to allow them to undergo physical recovery, they worked individually in specially prepared private training areas. The champions' technical staff is reportedly managing these players with extreme caution ahead of the upcoming crucial Champions League final.
Arteta's First Interview Since Clinching the Title
The club's manager, Mikel Arteta, gave his first interview today starting from 3:30 PM after confirming their championship status.
"Being called Premier League champions is an unbelievable feeling," Manager Mikel Arteta said. "The sound of 'League Champions' is one of the best feelings I have ever experienced in my life."
Explaining that he didn't watch the Manchester City match, Arteta described how his son tearfully broke the news to him: "I heard a voice from inside. My son burst through the door, ran towards me, and with a tearful voice, delivered the news, saying, 'Daddy, Daddy, we are champions!'"
Arteta shared how he heard the news with a smile: "Right after that, Ødegaard video-called me. I picked up and said, 'Øde...!' and he replied, 'Boss...! We are celebrating here, Boss, where are you? Come quickly!' It's very difficult to express such moments in words! Being called league champions is a truly special feeling."
He added, sharing his plans for the Champions League: "When we celebrate the victory with our fans on the streets of London, I don't want it to be with just one trophy! My plan is to tour on an open-top bus carrying two trophies."
On Guardiola, Humility, and Iraola
During this interview, the Gunners' boss also brought up his old friend and rival, Pep Guardiola.
"I want to thank Pep; he is the foundation for many things in my life. I started my managerial career with him! Therefore, at every milestone I reach, I always want to thank him," he said.
When asked what he has learned from the past few years, Mikel Arteta replied: "To be humble and eager to learn."
The Spanish manager added: "I have learned how to win a lot. We tried repeatedly, and finally, we won. I learned this through patience and humility. I will continue to be humble in the future as well. I always want to learn and try new things."
Describing the past 48 hours as extremely special and joyful for him, Arteta said, "The special feeling I felt on Tuesday is something I have never experienced in my life." He also did not hide that he spoke with his childhood friend and current Bournemouth manager, Andoni Iraola, during that time.
"Iraola and I spoke on the phone yesterday," Arteta said. "He congratulated me on becoming league champion, and I praised him for the amazing performance he showed at Bournemouth."
He concluded their conversation by saying, "I told him, 'You almost snatched the trophy away from us by beating us at the Emirates, but thank you for giving it back to us!' Overall, after both of us exchanged mutual compliments, the phone call ended."
Finally, Arteta concluded his interview by sharing a message of gratitude:
"Thank you to everyone around me! This victory was not achieved by me alone; there are many, many people behind me. Congratulations to all of you, both here and to our fans all over the world. Congratulations to us; have a wonderful time celebrating."
