Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott believes the Gunners must undergo a serious “mindset change” if they are to finally end their long wait for major trophies.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast on Thursday (August 14), Walcott warned against the “cycle of second best” that he feels has lingered at the club for years.
Arsenal have enjoyed a positive upturn since Mikel Arteta’s appointment in 2019 but the Gunners have faltered at crucial stages in each of the last three seasons, leading to disappointing finishes.
They have finished as Premier League runners-up in three straight seasons as they searched for their first title since the Invincible winning season in 2004.
Last season would have been particularly frustrating for Arsenal fans as they were left out of the running nearly a month before the season ended, with Liverpool clinching the league title in April.
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Arsenal have had a busy summer ahead of the upcoming season with several key improvements to the squad.
They have added Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, Noni Madueke and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, taking their spending up to £190m.
Arteta has also insisted they are not done yet in the market, with reports suggesting that the club is pursuing a deal for Crystal Palace midfielder Eberichi Eze.
What did Walcott say?
“It's a mindset they don't want to go into. When I was playing for the club, top four was good enough. All of a sudden, that is implemented into the squad,” Walcott warned.
“The manager says he wants the top four and as players we saw that as the job in hand, and we did that.
“Of course, we wanted to win the league but we did our job - and that was top four.”
Walcott was slightly cautious about expectations for Arsenal’s upcoming season.
“Now it's a different kind of element where people are expecting Arsenal to win but I'm not expecting them to, I'm really not. I want us to be competitive till the end of the season,” he added.
“They got distracted with the Champions League [last season] because the squad depth was too short and they didn't have the players that can take the load off certain players. They played too much football.
“It's a different feeling this year but I still feel that there's elements of ‘we'll just miss out again’.
“Maybe I'm negative or that's just how I see it but, look, you can't get into that cycle of always being second best.
“I think it's going to be a continued pattern until that mindset changes.”
Arsenal kick off their Premier League campaign with a visit to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday (August 17).
Arsenal news and related links
- Arsenal not yet done in the transfer market, says Mikel Arteta
- Martin Zubimendi promises more to come ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League opener
- Arsenal told what change they need to win the Premier League title