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Gary Neville has lauded Arsenal’s faith in Mikel Arteta despite the club going five years without a trophy, describing the Gunners’ patience as “incredible” in the modern football landscape.
Arsenal’s last piece of silverware came in 2020 when they lifted the FA Cup, but since then, the north London side has endured several near misses, including their recent Champions League semi-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain, which ended their final chance of claiming a trophy this season.
Despite the lack of tangible success, Arteta has guided Arsenal to back-to-back second-place finishes in the Premier League and remains on course to secure another runners-up spot this season. Manchester City’s dropped points on Saturday ensured the Gunners would finish the weekend in second behind newly crowned champions Liverpool.
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Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: “I think it’s a great achievement to not win a trophy in five years and still be the manager of a top club, that isn’t under pressure—from us, from anybody in the football community, or even the Arsenal fanbase. That’s an incredible achievement, because we thought those days were gone.”
When asked by fellow pundit Jamie Carragher whether Arteta should be under more scrutiny, Neville was non-committal but emphasised the importance of long-term vision.
“No, I think it’s a good thing. Ordinarily, five years without a trophy would mean a manager is under pressure. But there has clearly been progression,” he added.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (Image credit: Getty Images)Neville did, however, express concerns about squad depth—particularly in attack. Arsenal’s Champions League exit saw Mikel Merino, a midfielder, forced to play as a false nine due to injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
“They’ve left themselves woefully short up top,” Neville said. “They’ve spent £750m and signed one striker in seven seasons. That’s ridiculous. Whether it’s Arteta or the club’s decision, that situation needs to be addressed.”
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He also noted shortcomings in midfield: “They still haven’t got a player who can receive the ball on the half-turn from deep. [Thomas] Partey’s not great at that, and even Declan Rice, as we saw against PSG, is more effective pushing forward.”
Arsenal returned to Premier League action on Sunday at Anfield, where Merino dropped back into midfield in the absence of Rice, who missed out through injury. Leandro Trossard started as the central striker, supported by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli in a frontline reshuffle.
With another summer transfer window looming, pressure may mount on Arteta and the Arsenal hierarchy to strengthen key positions—particularly up front—as they continue their pursuit of long-awaited silverware.
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