Mikel Arteta's greatest Arsenal moments – so far! | Feature | News

Following the news that Mikel Arteta has signed a new contract with the club, we look back at his time in the N5 as a player and manager by reflecting on some of his greatest moments as a Gunner:

First game as captain

Mikel's first game with the captain's armband for us will be remembered for a long time for another reason.

We faced Leeds United in the third round of the FA Cup in 2012 and a largely low-key game at the Emirates Stadium turned into a historic one when Thierry Henry scored the winning goal.

Henry made his first appearance since returning to Arsenal in 2007, five years after leaving for Barcelona. The Frenchman latched onto a through ball from Alex Song and fired a trademark strike into the far corner, scoring his 227th goal for the club and sending us into the fourth round.

It was a big night for everyone connected with Arsenal and especially for Mikel, who captained the team for the first time and was to remain our full-time captain from 2014 until the end of his playing career in 2016.

The winning goal against Man City

The most beautiful goal in Mikel's time as an Arsenal player came at the perfect moment.

With just three minutes left in our Premier League home game against Manchester City, Mikel took the ball from an opposition midfielder and fired a low shot from 25 yards.

It was a goal we fully deserved after hitting the woodwork three times – twice by Robin van Persie and once by Theo Walcott.

Mario Balotelli was sent off for City in the dying minutes and Mikel's goal made the difference as we picked up three crucial points in our quest for a Champions League place.

Victory against Hull in the FA Cup final

Mikel captained us to Wembley in 2014 as we chased our first major trophy in almost a decade.

After beating Wigan Athletic on penalties in the semi-finals – Mikel scored our first penalty – we faced Hull City in one of the most dramatic FA Cup finals in recent history.

After a slow start, the Tigers took a surprise 2-0 lead inside the first nine minutes and just when it seemed our long wait for a trophy was going to continue, Santi Cazorla scored a fantastic free kick to put us back in the game.

Laurent Koscielny made it 2-2 in the second half and Aaron Ramsey completed his remarkable comeback with a goal in injury time. After the final whistle, Mikel climbed the famous steps of Wembley and lifted his first trophy in English football.

Winning the FA Cup in 2020

In August 2020, just eight months after returning to Arsenal in a new role, Mikel was allowed to get his hands on the same trophy for the first time as a coach.

After a cup run that included wins over Leeds United, Bournemouth, Sheffield United and a stunning 2-0 semi-final victory over Manchester City, we travelled to Wembley to face a Chelsea side who had already beaten Liverpool and Manchester United en route to the final.

Christian Pulisic put Frank Lampard's side ahead after just five minutes, but our players responded brilliantly. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – who scored twice in the semi-finals – equalised from the penalty spot in the 28th minute before doubling his tally in the second half with a superb chip over the Chelsea goalkeeper.

Thanks to Aubameyang's performance, which saw him named Man of the Match, we won a record 14th FA Cup – our fourth in seven years – and Mikel deservedly ended his first season as head coach with a trophy after an incredible cup run.

Dramatic victory against Bournemouth

The most memorable moment of the 2022/23 season was undoubtedly our comeback win against Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium in March 2023.

With a spectacular half-volley from the edge of the box just before the end of injury time, we miraculously turned the game around and defended our lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Having taken the lead after just nine seconds, Bournemouth extended their lead in the 57th minute and we had to give it our all to get back into the game. Thomas Partey made it 2-1 in the 62nd minute before Ben White equalised with his first Arsenal goal.

We kept pushing for the win and Reiss finally found the net. It was a performance that reflected the team spirit and resilience that Mikel has instilled in his team.

“It was just crazy,” Mikel said after the game. “I'm really proud of them. They never gave up.”

MIKEL'S SUBS BEAT THE TOWN

One of Mikel's biggest wins as manager came in October 2023 when we beat Manchester City in a thrilling home game in the Premier League.

Having beaten City 4-1 on penalties in the Community Shield two months earlier, Arsenal fans arrived at the Emirates Stadium hoping for another victory.

In a tight, tactical battle, it looked like we would have to settle for a draw. Then Takehiro Tomiyasu headed a long ball from Partey to Kai Havertz, who collected the ball and passed it to Gabriel Martinelli. The Brazilian fired a shot from outside the box that deflected off a defender and into the net, sparking wild celebrations.

Together, all four substitutes helped Mikel break the deadlock and secure his first league win against Manchester City.

SUCCESS IN THE SHOOT-OUT

We returned to the Champions League in the 2023/24 season and Mikel got his first taste of the competition in North London. After navigating a group that included PV Eindhoven, Lens and Sevilla, we faced Porto in the round of 16. Our aim was to reach the last eight for the first time since 2009.

A last-minute win meant the Portuguese had travelled to north London with a narrow lead from the first leg and we were able to cancel that out in the 40th minute when Leandro Trossard scored, but we managed to keep them at bay against a dogged opposition who knew they only needed to score once to progress.

Extra time failed to differentiate between the two teams, so the game went to penalties. We scored all four of our shots and Porto hit the post before David Raya won the shootout by saving the decisive shot and Mikel put us through to the quarter-finals.