Emmanuel Petit has expressed frustration with Arsenal’s current trajectory, urging the club to strengthen in the summer and ensure they don’t lose any of their best players. Despite significant improvement under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s only major silverware since his arrival remains the 2020 FA Cup. Though they have challenged for the Premier League title, their last league triumph was in 2004, and this season, they were once again outdone by Liverpool, as Manchester City maintained their dominance.
Petit, who won the Premier League with Arsenal in 1998, believes the club must now take the next step toward becoming one of the most dominant teams in Europe. While Arsenal is playing at a high level, the Frenchman feels the lack of trophies in recent years marks a significant failure for the club.
Arteta must focus on two key areas, according to Petit: retaining key players like William Saliba and strengthening the squad. “Arsenal are still second and got to the semi-final of the Champions League, so it’s about what happens next in the transfer market,” Petit remarked. “The club needs to bring in top players and keep hold of their best players like William Saliba, who Real Madrid want.”
Petit emphasizes the need for a deeper squad with better rotation and quality on the bench, especially after their failure to secure big wins in crucial moments. He pointed to their recent loss to Paris Saint-Germain as an example of Arsenal’s struggles in big matches, with fans mocking the team’s inability to compete with Europe’s elite clubs. “Arsenal are a good team, a good club, but everyone says they are not one of the top clubs in Europe in terms of history,” Petit said. “That’s because they have failed, and I’m tired of it. This team needs to change the situation and win something.”
For Petit, the next step for Arsenal is clear: they need to win the Champions League. “They need to get back to the days of 25 years ago and be the team to beat. We put in the steps, but that was it,” he said. “Arsenal need to improve season after season and win the Champions League to prove people wrong.”
Real Madrid’s interest in Saliba is a major concern for Petit, who fears losing the defender would represent a huge setback for the club. “If you want to compete with the best clubs in Europe, you have to improve your squad every season and that happens by keeping hold of your best players,” he explained. “If Arsenal were to lose William Saliba, it would remind me of the days they needed money after moving to the Emirates, they don’t need to do that anymore.”
Petit also stressed the importance of maintaining a strong defensive unit. “The defence has been their strength in the last three or four seasons, one of the best defences in Europe,” he said. “If they sign forwards but sell defenders, what is the point?” To truly compete at the highest level, Petit believes Arsenal must not only keep their key players but also invest in improving the squad where it matters most.