REVEALED: How Arteta has learned from last season to lead Arsenal to glory this year

In the current 2023/24 Premier League season, Arsenal finds themselves leading the table with 64 points after 28 league games, a position hauntingly familiar to what they experienced last season before losing out on the title to Manchester City. Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, appears to have taken crucial lessons from that heartbreaking defeat, particularly emphasizing the significance of player fitness in staying competitive until the end of the season.

Reflecting on the past campaign, Arteta points out the untimely injuries to key players like William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who were sidelined for the entire season at this crucial stage, as a major factor that contributed to their downfall. Now, as history threatens to repeat itself with players like Gabriel and Bukayo Saka picking up minor injuries, Arteta and his team are taking swift action to ensure their top players remain fit and available for the crucial matches ahead. Even Gabriel Martinelli, struggling with a foot injury, has been kept away from international duty to focus on his recovery and readiness for upcoming challenges.

With a recent nerve-wracking victory against FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, where they triumphed in penalties, Arsenal is bracing themselves for their next test against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, 31st March, 2024. It is evident that Arteta’s meticulous approach to player fitness and well-being reflects a strategic shift in the club’s mentality, aiming to avoid the pitfalls of the past and secure their position at the summit of English football this season.