'He could be a legend like Arsene Wenger' - Mikel Arteta backed to match iconic Frenchman as Arsenal aim to finally win Premier League title

Arsenal once again find themselves in the thick of a Premier League title race, and this season’s strong start has reignited belief that Arteta’s project may finally reach its long-promised peak. Having fallen painfully short in three consecutive campaigns, the Gunners have assembled a squad widely regarded as the most complete in the division, giving Arteta his best chance yet to lift the coveted league trophy. The renewed optimism has prompted former players to speak out, including Saha, who believes Arteta is now positioned to achieve something historic.

Arteta’s transformation of Arsenal has unfolded over several phases, from the emotional near-miss of 2022-23 to the more controlled title push of 2023-24 and the tense, regression-tinged 2024-25 campaign. Throughout these cycles, Arsenal have developed resilience, tactical depth and a hardened mentality that was once lacking, allowing them to compete with serial winners, Manchester City, and Liverpool. The club’s consistent presence near the summit has built a foundation of scars, experience and belief that Saha suggests could prove decisive this time around.

Yet the stakes are higher than ever, as Arsenal’s inability to convert dominance into silverware remains the one lingering shadow over Arteta’s tenure. Having crafted a squad rich in talent, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, William Saliba and Martin Odegaard among them, the Spaniard now carries both expectation and pressure. According to Saha, this combination is not a burden but a necessary ingredient for a manager who aspires to sit in the same pantheon as Wenger.

Saha believes Arteta finally has the strongest squad in England and a genuine chance to win the Premier League this season. He explained: “This is definitely the first time that he has the best squad in the Premier League, and they’ve had the best start of any side, too. To be honest, he has the most confidence in his team, because after three or four years under his belt, you can see he has the composure and the mentality the club needs. He needs to still be like that come the end of the season, at those real crunch moments. They’ve been there before. They’ve done this for two years already, and then it falls away, so now they need confidence to go the whole way, to prove it to themselves and others.”

Saha insists that this season could be Arsenal’s breakthrough based on the completeness of the squad. He said: “I think this is the year because when you look at the squad, when you look at the talent, what they have, it's the most complete squad in the league. He has built confidence around it.”

He also praised Arteta’s personal evolution, adding: “I think Mikel has proven that he’s a top manager… sometimes he has made mistakes in communication, but it’s normal to make mistakes as a young manager.  I think now he can prove his critics wrong and show he has learned his lessons.”

He also discussed Arteta’s long-term future and the expectations surrounding him. Saha said: “ It’s good pressure for Mikel to be under. It’s because he has shown tactically he can solve so many problems. He has got on top of the mentality problems at the club, even if they still have not yet got that major trophy. He has shown he and his team can overcome difficult moments, but they need to show that they can keep that approach into February and beyond, when the pressure ramps up even further. If next year they are playing as champions or winners of the Premier League, then the pressure will be even greater to maintain that level of excellence.

Finally, Saha concluded by claiming that Arteta could reach the peaks once walked by Wenger in north London: "He could be a legend like Wenger, and he wants to see the team winning leagues in the same way. They have matched the quality of Wenger’s teams, but not their ability to win titles. That’s their goal next.” 

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Arteta’s Arsenal journey has been built on near-misses that shaped the club’s identity while simultaneously frustrating supporters desperate for a return to the top. The 2022–23 season saw Arsenal lead the league for 248 days before collapsing due to injuries and inexperience, setting the template for heartbreak. The following year, they improved defensively and mentally, but could not outlast Manchester City’s relentless run, missing the title by a single point.

The 2024–25 season deepened the psychological burden, as Arsenal faltered in key moments, with Liverpool taking home the title, and ultimately finished third despite possessing one of Europe’s strongest squads. This sequence of narrow failures has hardened the team and matured its core, allowing the 2025–26 campaign to begin with renewed clarity and composure. Crucially, the current season has seen Manchester City show genuine vulnerability, creating a title landscape unlike any Arteta has previously navigated.

Arteta himself has evolved significantly in both tactical flexibility and communication, shifting from a dogmatic structure to a more pragmatic, opponent-specific approach. His squad, enriched by experienced leaders and technical standouts, has shown improved game management and resilience.

Arsenal’s title bid now depends on maintaining consistency through the winter schedule, where past seasons have faltered under physical and psychological pressure. The challenge will lie in navigating injuries, managing squad rotation and converting tight matches against lower-table sides—historically a decisive weakness. If Arteta delivers where he previously fell short, Saha’s prediction of a Wenger-like legacy could become the defining conversation of the season.

Following their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Arsenal are also being touted as one of the favourites to become European champions for the first time in their history. However, there remains a large part of the season yet to come, and nobody knows better than Arteta that it's not over until the fat lady sings.