Mikel Arteta warned failure to win Premier League would be ‘unforgivable’ as major concern revealed

Mikel Arteta has been told he must win the Premier League this season.

It follows Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.

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The Gunners were beaten 2-0 after Nico O’Reilly’s second half brace prolonged their six-year trophy drought.

Arteta’s side have not won a major trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 2020.

However, they could still win the treble this season and are on course for a first league title in 22 years.

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has warned that letting their lead at the top of the table slip would be ‘unforgivable’.

The Gunners are nine points clear of City with seven matches remaining, although their title rivals have a game in hand.

Reflecting on Sunday’s defeat, Petit told Breakfast: “This experience is a huge difference when you come into a final like this.

“It doesn’t explain to me what happened yesterday on the pitch because I won’t find any excuses for the failure of Arsenal players yesterday and as well from Arteta.

“I want to keep my positivity for Arsenal. I still believe that they are going to win the title at the end of the season.

“I’m not sure about the Champions League because they have top guns as well. They have a proper way to go until the semi-final, probably to the final.

“They are lucky to avoid those big guns, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid.

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“The FA Cup is something different. But, for me, the most important is the Premier League because the gap between the two teams, you definitely have to win it.

“If you don’t, I think that will be unforgivable.”

Arsenal will face Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-finals of the Champions League next month.

Meanwhile, they have been drawn away to Championship side Southampton at the same stage of the FA Cup.

As for the Premier League title race, City will host Crystal Palace in their game in hand once the match is rescheduled.

They will also face Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, April 19.

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Petit has also voiced concerns over the mentality of the players at Wembley Stadium once they fell behind.

The Frenchman, who won the double with Arsenal in 1998, added: “I had the feeling that they dropped mentally. It was over.

“It was very difficult for Arsenal to come back. You couldn’t see the body language on the pitch, the faces of the players.

“Only Declan Rice started to do something, try to say to his teammates, come on guys, it’s not over. We have to do something in this game.

“But I had the feeling from the stadium where I was seated, that the game was already over.”

Arteta’s FA Cup triumph in 2020 remains the only major silverware of his time as Arsenal manager.

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Meanwhile, his side have finished second in the Premier League in each of the last three seasons.

The Spaniard, who signed a new deal in September 2024, is currently out of contract at the end of next season.