If Arsenal Don't Win the Premier League & Champions League This Season, It Will Be Their Biggest Failure Yet

Why a Double Title is an Expectation in North London

There comes a point in every great manager's reign where progress is no longer enough. Mikel Arteta has reached that point.

When he took over Arsenal in December 2019, the club had lost its identity. They had become a side battling for Europa League qualification rather than Premier League titles, recruitment had been inconsistent and optimism around the Emirates Stadium was at an all-time low.

Supporters accepted there would be setbacks because the scale of the rebuild was enormous.

Six years later, Arsenal are once again the standard in English football. Last season they ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title before suffering the cruellest possible defeat in the Champions League final, losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties after 120 minutes of football couldn't separate the two sides.

The Arsenal. Your Premier League champions. pic.twitter.com/gNnfzesrhP

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 19, 2026

It was a devastating way to lose Europe's biggest prize, but it also changed the conversation around Arsenal. For years, every failure came with an explanation. The famous social media meme of ‘Why argue with an Arsenal fan when you can just wait’ springs to mind. The squad wasn’t good enough, Manchester City and Liverpool  were simply too good. Arsenal needed a world-class holding midfielder. They needed more depth. They needed experience in Europe.

Those excuses don't exist anymore.

Arsenal aren't an exciting young side learning how to win. They are champions. They have already shown they can reach the biggest game in club football and, after another ambitious summer in the transfer market, they look stronger than the team that came within a penalty shootout of making history. That is exactly why the expectations have changed.

If Arsenal fail to win the Champions League this season, it won't erase everything Arteta has achieved. He has already transformed the football club beyond recognition and restored Arsenal to where supporters believe they belong. But it would undoubtedly become the biggest missed opportunity of his reign because it's difficult to imagine this project entering another season in a stronger position than it is today.

There Are No Weaknesses Left To Hide Behind

One of Arteta's greatest achievements has been identifying Arsenal's problems and solving them one by one.

The defence that once looked fragile has become arguably the best in Europe. William Saliba has developed into one of world football's elite centre-backs, Gabriel has become the perfect partner alongside him and David Raya has provided the calmness and reliability needed behind them. Add Declan Rice protecting that back four and Arsenal have built exactly the kind of defensive platform that traditionally wins Champions Leagues.

Not only did Arsenal boast the Premier League's best defensive record, but they carried that resilience into Europe, navigating their way to the final without losing a single game. Winning knockout football often isn't about playing the most exciting football. It's about making fewer mistakes than your opponents, and Arsenal have mastered that better than almost anyone.

🚨 Real Madrid raise contract offer to Vinicius Junior. Proposal said to reflect 26yo’s importance to #RMFC & project. Decision time for Brazil int’l - renewal, await free agency next summer (club want to avoid) or pursue Arsenal opportunity @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/WvftHt6y84

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 5, 2026

The frightening part for the rest of Europe is that they haven't stood still. Champions often become complacent after finally reaching the top. Arsenal have done the opposite.

Illan Meslier has arrived on a free to add depth to their goalkeeping department, Piero Hincapié has become a permanent Arsenal player after impressing during his loan spell, while Christos Tzolis adds another dimension to an already dangerous attack. Rather than protecting what they already have, Arsenal have continued building.

Reports continue to suggest a £75 million pound deal for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimarães is edging closer, giving Arteta another genuinely world-class midfielder capable of rotating alongside Rice and Martin Ødegaard without the team's level dropping. At the same time, Arsenal's reported interest in Vinícius Júnior shows the scale of the club's ambition. Whether that move eventually happens or not almost feels secondary. The fact Arsenal are even being mentioned as a realistic destination for one of the world's very best footballers demonstrates just how far they have come under Arteta.

The Timing Could Not Be Better

Winning the Champions League is never just about quality. Timing matters. Manchester City finally conquered Europe when Guardiola had spent years perfecting his squad. Liverpool won it under Klopp with a settled group entering their peak together. Chelsea's triumph in 2021 came when everything aligned perfectly for a few unforgettable months. Arsenal may never receive a better opportunity than the one sitting in front of them.

Liverpool are adapting to life under Andoni Iraola following Arne Slot's departure. Manchester City remain in transition after the departure of Guardiola and arrival of Enzo Maresca. Chelsea have changed managers yet again, Tottenham are Tottenham and Manchester United are still searching for consistency despite years of heavy investment.

The core of Arteta's squad has played together for years. The tactical identity is fully established, the dressing room believes in the manager completely and the majority of his key players are entering what should be the very best years of their careers. Bukayo Saka, Rice, Saliba, Ødegaard and Gabriel are no longer players with potential. They are players who should now be judged by the biggest trophies in football.

🚨🔴⚪️ BREAKING: Bruno Guimarães to Arsenal, HERE WE GO! 🇧🇷

Agreement in place with Newcastle after long talks and personal terms in place with Bruno since July. Fee worth £75m.

New midfielder for Mikel Arteta. 🔜 pic.twitter.com/bC8q2Wv8S6

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 5, 2026

History tells us these opportunities disappear quicker than anyone expects. Arsenal supporters know that better than most. The Invincibles remain one of the greatest teams English football has ever seen, yet they never lifted the Champions League. Reaching the 2006 final felt like the beginning of something special. It turned out to be the closest that generation would ever come.

Liverpool looked capable of dominating Europe for years after winning under Jürgen Klopp before injuries, ageing players and stronger competition gradually closed their window. Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham reached a Champions League final and haven't returned since.

Football doesn't wait for anybody. The assumption that another opportunity will always arrive is one of the biggest mistakes elite clubs can make.

This Is About Legacy

Arteta doesn't need the Champions League to prove he has been a success. That argument has already been won. He inherited a broken football club and rebuilt it into Premier League champions. He restored Arsenal's reputation across Europe, developed academy graduates into world-class footballers and created one of the strongest squads on the continent.

But the difference between great managers and legendary managers is often measured in Europe. Sir Alex Ferguson won two European Cups. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City project wasn't considered complete until Istanbul. Carlo Ancelotti has built an entire legacy around this competition.

Arteta now has the opportunity to do the same.

🚨 @JacobsBen: “The likelihood is there are offers for Gabriel Jesus. Al-Ahli & Saudi Arabia are showing an interest & if they were to lose Ivan Toney, they would ramp up efforts for either Jesus - if he opens the door, nothing yet - or Richarlison.”

“I’m told Mikel Arteta loves… pic.twitter.com/y3NX1B8XrC

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) August 5, 2026

No Arsenal manager has ever lifted the Champions League. No Arsenal captain has ever walked those famous steps to collect the biggest trophy in club football. After everything the club has invested, after years of rebuilding and after coming within penalties of making history just three months ago, the expectation has to be winning it.

As Arsenal fans would say themselves, if a club with arguably the best defence in Europe, a Premier League title behind them, further elite additions in the transfer market and the confidence of reaching a Champions League final, cannot finally deliver the one trophy that has always escaped Arsenal Football Club, then serious questions will inevitably be asked about whether this generation truly fulfilled its extraordinary potential.

Great teams seize their moment. Arsenal have arrived at theirs. Now they have to finish the job, or it will go down as one of their biggest failures in their history.