Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta couldn’t hide his excitement after Arsenal sealed a late win against Southampton, ending the season with momentum and giving fans plenty to be excited about during the break.
Martin Odegaard’s superb low drive clinched the win for the Gunners with just a minute left on the clock, capping off the season in style. Tierney had earlier opened the scoring before Southampton managed to equalise.
With players like Tierney possibly moving on, Arteta expressed his happiness that Arsenal could give them a proper send-off and let them share one more joyful moment in the red and white.
After the game, Arteta said: “I’m very happy. You want to start your holidays in the next few days with a good feeling, with a good vibe, seeing some smiley faces there. It was important to win it, it was important as well to say goodbye to a few players who have left our football club, to say thank you for their contribution”.
“Some of them, like Kieran, they’ve been on this journey for six years with us. Jorginho, we’re trying to hug him, Neto and Raheem as well. So, there are a few players that I had the duty to say thank you to. I think we all have and we wish them the best for the next season”.
“[Kieran] mentioned it yesterday, he said ‘I’m going to score in my last game’ and he’s certainly done it.”
That win marked the end of a long campaign where Arsenal made their strongest Champions League push in over a decade and stayed among the league’s elite all season—ultimately securing a third straight second-place finish.
Arteta plans to take some time to rest, but after witnessing the Arsenal Women lift the European crown against Barcelona, he’s aiming to channel that same winning spirit into the men’s squad for a big push next season.
“It’s time to reflect, time to reset, and get our energy back,” he added. “It’s been a really demanding season, a season that has stretched us all. But I think the culture and the mindset that we have at the football club have sustained everything to perform with the resources that we have at the highest level up to the last day, and I think that’s remarkable”.
“We were on the bus journey to Southampton and we were all cheering [the women’s team]. We’re so proud, the way they’ve done it, the way they have overcome adversity throughout the season and managed to do that against Barcelona, it’s amazing. So, big congratulations and make sure that they enjoy tomorrow!”
