Mikel Arteta is keeping his foot firmly on the gas, even after Arsenal smashed a 122-year-old record.
The Gunners made history on Tuesday night with their eighth consecutive clean sheet, matching a milestone set back in 1903, as they crushed Slavia Prague 3–0 in the Champions League. A Bukayo Saka penalty and Mikel Merino brace sealed their tenth win in a row, taking their season tally to 14 victories in 16 games, with just three goals conceded all year.
But Arteta wasn’t celebrating for long.
“We want more,” he warned. “We can still improve and do things better. That’s the right mindset to have. I’m not satisfied at all; we can play better, defend better, and today we should have done some things better in the opposition half.”
Even perfection isn’t enough for the Arsenal boss. He praised his players’ focus in a “tricky” clash in Prague but made it clear there’s no room for complacency.
“It’s very tricky against them,” Arteta said. “But I’m very pleased for a lot of reasons, obviously a winning run in the Champions League without conceding a goal, at a really tough place to come.”
Arteta also gave fans a glimpse of Arsenal’s future, handing Champions League debuts to Hale End prodigies Max Dowman and Andre Harriman-Annous.
Dowman made history as the youngest player ever to appear in the competition, and Arteta was full of admiration for the teenager’s boldness.
“Yeah, I didn’t know that, I just found out,” Arteta smiled. “But it’s no surprise. What I liked is the way he played, he took the ball, spread the opponent, and won free-kicks. It’s not about age, it’s about personality and courage.”
With Arsenal unbeaten in Europe and firing on all fronts, Arteta’s message couldn’t be clearer, records mean nothing if the hunger stops.
Under his watch, Arsenal aren’t just chasing trophies, they’re chasing perfection.
