Arteta: Champions League final 'poison' still in my veins

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Mikel Arteta says the pain of Arsenal's Champions League final defeat remains a driving force behind the club's pursuit of further success.

Arsenal led Paris Saint-Germain in May's final in Budapest before losing on penalties, with Gabriel missing the decisive spot-kick. It capped a season that had already delivered the club's first Premier League title in 22 years, but one that could have been remembered as the greatest in Arsenal's history had the European final gone differently.

Speaking to The Athletic, Arteta drew a direct comparison to Arsene Wenger's famous description of defeats in big matches as a "scar in the heart."

"I still have the scar, like Arsene says," Arteta said. "I still have that poison in my veins. It has to stay there because that's when you learn and that probably is going to be a massive driver for me and everybody."

A title race that swung late

Arteta had previously guided Arsenal to three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League before finally getting over the line last season. The Gunners looked set to pull clear of the chasing pack for much of the campaign, only for that advantage to disappear by April.

A win over West Ham proved pivotal in the run-in. The Hammers appeared to have equalised deep into stoppage time before VAR intervened in Arsenal's favour, keeping the title race alive after Manchester City had dropped points against Everton on the same day.

Arteta pointed to that moment as the point he became convinced the title was destined for the Emirates.

"This is football elevated to its best version," he said. "When a journey, a moment that can change so many people's lives, goes one way or the other. You just pray because you know if it goes the wrong side, probably it's gone again."

"That day when I went home, I said, 'We're going to be champions. It is our year. This has happened for a reason, and we're going to get it done'."

Using the final as fuel

The Champions League final loss has clearly stayed with Arteta, who sees it as unfinished business rather than a setback to dwell on. Having ended the club's long wait for a league title, the next target for Arteta and his squad is translating domestic success into European glory, with the memory of Budapest still fresh in the dressing room.