Mikel Arteta has warned that any Arsenal player lacking the necessary desire to win should consider leaving the club, as the Premier League champions prepare to face Chelsea on Sunday.
The Arsenal manager was asked whether motivation could become an issue for his squad after last season’s long-awaited success in the English top flight. The “Gunners” finally secured the Premier League title last season, raising the question of how Arteta will ensure his players remain hungry after reaching one of their main objectives.
His response was uncompromising: “Players without the right attitude should leave Arsenal.”
Arteta’s comments underline the standards he expects from the squad following the club’s title triumph. Rather than allowing success to reduce the team’s ambition, the Arsenal manager has made clear that every player must continue to show the appropriate mentality.
The issue of motivation has emerged before Arsenal’s first major test of the new Premier League campaign. Chelsea will visit Arsenal on Sunday in a third-round fixture, with both sides having won their opening two league matches.
That perfect start means the meeting will bring together two teams with maximum points from their first two games. Arsenal will go into the contest as the reigning Premier League champions, while Chelsea will look to maintain their own winning beginning to the season.
Arteta was asked specifically how he helps players preserve their desire for further victories after such a significant achievement. The question followed Arsenal’s title success, which ended a long wait for a Premier League triumph and gave the squad the reward for its work over the previous campaign.
The Arsenal manager’s answer focused on the attitude required to remain part of his team. For Arteta, the motivation to compete cannot depend only on the pursuit of a first title or another major milestone. Players must continue to demonstrate the level of commitment expected at the club.
Sunday’s match will therefore provide an early examination of Arsenal’s response to their championship success. With two victories already recorded by each team, the fixture also offers a meeting between sides that have made identical starts to the league season.
The build-up has consequently centred not on Arsenal’s results, but on whether the champions can maintain their intensity and ambition. Arteta’s message has been clear: winning the Premier League has not lowered the standard required at Arsenal, and anyone unable to meet that standard may have no place in the squad.
The match against Chelsea will be played at Arsenal’s home ground on Sunday in the third round of the Premier League. Both teams arrive having won their first two league fixtures, while Arteta’s remarks have placed the focus on the mentality he believes must accompany Arsenal’s status as champions.