The Believers: How Mourinho, Guardiola and Others Backed Arteta When Arsenal Were Staring Down Relegation

Arsenal have done it. The Gunners are Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years, a stunning turnaround for a club that inherited a squad languishing in 10th when Mikel Arteta took charge – below Wolves, Sheffield United, Leicester, and most galling of all, Spurs.

The scale of the achievement becomes even starker when you consider how dire things looked at their lowest ebb. Yet a remarkable cast of characters kept the faith when it would have been easy to write Arsenal off entirely.

Willian's Bold Bet

The Brazilian winger arrived in August 2020 brimming with optimism. Arsenal had just won the FA Cup final – though Willian missed out through injury – and finished 8th in the league, scraping into European football.

"I decided to join the club because Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and because of the new project with Arteta," Willian said. "I think this club deserves to shine again, and I want to be a part of this project. With Arteta, I think Arsenal have a great opportunity to fight again for titles in the Premier League and in Europe. I was at Chelsea for seven years and won everything except the Champions League. Hopefully this move will give me the trophy I haven't got as well as another Premier League title."

Wenger's Endorsement

By October 2020, Arsenal sat 4th with three wins and a Liverpool defeat from their opening four games. Everton topped the table. It was a different era entirely, but Arsène Wenger saw something worth championing.

"I genuinely believe yes [Arteta can challenge for the title], because he looks to have a good grip on the team," Wenger reflected. "They follow well, they are with him. We have bought well, spent a lot of money in the last two years. Suddenly we discovered huge resources – that was quite surprising. I think he has the quantity and quality of players, yes we can go for it. Why not?"

Cahill's Process Trust

By November, Arsenal had slipped to 9th, yet they'd just pulled off a momentous win at Old Trafford – their first there since September 2006. Pundit Tim Cahill recognised something deeper at work.

"The key thing is, Arsenal are progressing because there's an identity, there's a formula to the way they play," Cahill observed. "They play out from the back and they'll keep playing out from the back, and that's why I think Mikel deserves a lot of praise. They've lost a few games but they know why they've lost. They finish the game but they're learning and they're progressing."

Roy Keane, needless to say, was considerably less convinced.

Mourinho's Winter Prophecy

December 2020 brought Arsenal to their nadir – 15th place, having just been dismantled 2-0 by Tottenham in a result that now feels like it belongs to an alternate dimension. Yet José Mourinho, after his side's victory, saw through the gloom.

"I want to give words, congratulations to Mikel because he gave us a very difficult game," Mourinho said. "Tactically they are very good, they were very well organised. They gave us problems, problems that we managed to resolve. But I have to say: very good team, very good coach. A team with different ways to play. A team that is able to change during the game. A team that is able to build with four or five, with the centre-backs or with the midfield player dropping. A team with a lot of work.

"I can imagine tomorrow that the headlines will be about them not being in a good position on the table. But I believe with these players, with Mikel, Arsenal will be Arsenal again."

Edu's Steadying Hand

Arsenal's sporting director spoke during that same bleak December, with the club having won just once in ten games and slipped within five points of the drop zone. Three different players had been sent off during a run that included 3-0 and 1-0 home defeats to Aston Villa and Burnley.

"I can see a big, big, big and beautiful future," Edu insisted. "It's very strange to say that in this moment, but I have to be fair – that's the way I see the photo. And I always believed, and knew, it'd be a big challenge.

"We have to be patient. I know asking for patience for Arsenal is very strange because everyone has said that for long, long periods. But I'm here today to give to you guys the word that everything is fine internally but the results aren't coming, but I think we're going to change it very soon.

"The club needs stability right now. We have faced so many changes. It is not about Edu, Mikel, it is about stability. Now is the time to try and be a stable club in the old sense – externally and internally, we need that."

For context, Sam Allardyce was openly grouping Arsenal with West Brom's relegation battle at this point.

Guardiola's February Conviction

February 2021 saw Arsenal still mired in 10th, having won as many games as they'd lost from their opening 24 matches. They'd drawn 0-0 at home to Manchester United and suffered defeats at Wolves and Aston Villa before facing Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola, preparing to face them, offered his own assessment of what was brewing.

"All I can say is the last months show me that all managers need time and he is not an exception," Guardiola said. "What I see in the last two months every game Arsenal played is better than the opponent. Tomorrow we will have an incredible performance. They have an exceptional build-up, they have quality and they have energy. They have Saka, Aubameyang and all the players with the quality in the middle.

"In the early future, they will be real contenders to fight for the titles. Most of the time we took decisions together and I took decisions with the influence of Mikel. I don't know if I influenced him – he has to answer this."

Arsenal lost that day to a second-minute Raheem Sterling goal. Just over five years on, Guardiola was among those offering congratulations on a title well earned.