Mikel Arteta hoping to prove Sir Alex Ferguson right as Arsenal title reality becomes clear

Sir Alex Ferguson knew quite a bit about winning silverware. During his 26 years at Manchester United, the legendary manager won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, five FA Cups and more.

The record speaks for itself. It's probably no coincidence, either, that the Red Devils haven't quite been the same since Ferguson left the club in 2013. So, what was his success?

Well, Ferguson did famously once say: “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.” Whether that is exactly true is up for debate but Mikel Arteta and Arsenal will certainly hope it is.

The Gunners have gained a reputation for being defensively solid in recent years, with the likes of David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba at the heart of the backline. In fact, Arteta's side had the best defence in the Premier League during the 2024/25 season, conceding just 34 goals. It was a similar story in the 2023/24 campaign where they let in just 29 goals, although on both occasions they had to settle on finishing second.

Arsenal have started this season in similar fashion and in five games in all competitions have let in just one goal. Even that was a screamer, though, with Dominik Szoboszlai scoring a thunderous free-kick from distance to give Liverpool a 1-0 win just before the most recent international break.

Going forward Arsenal have been fluid, too, with Arteta's side scoring 11 goals. Andrea Berta bolstered the Gunners' attack by signing Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze this summer, while the defence was improved with the signings of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Peiro Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera.

Interestingly, Arteta has previously spoken of the importance of being defensively solid. “I think that’s going to be critical,” Arteta said in April 2024 when asked about the importance of maintaining such high standards.

“I think if you want to win championships, your defence has to be extremely consistent and very difficult to beat. We have that and it’s great to have the players, how they live their defensive phase and the contribution that they put in every ball to make it really difficult for the opponent.”

While it is early in the season, Arsenal will hope they remain hard to break down and also fluid in attack as they bid to win their first Premier League title since 2004. For once, Gunners fans across the world may just be hoping Ferguson and his title-winning theory is right.

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