The process is complete: Mikel Arteta has scooped the LMA Manager of the Year award after capturing Arsenal’s long-awaited Premier League crown.
Arsenal’s Premier League triumph last week snapped a 22-year drought, but this was no overnight miracle; it was the spectacular climax of a gruelling, seven-year rebuild.
Mikel Arteta inherited a club in absolute freefall after Unai Emery’s sacking, painstakingly transforming a fractured squad into one of Europe’s most terrifying powerhouses.
For his masterclass in patience and tactics, Arteta has been awarded the prestigious LMA Premier League Manager of the Year, becoming the first Gunners boss to claim the honour since Arsène Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ era in 2004.
Arteta seizes the crown from Liverpool’s Arne Slot, who took it from Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna the year prior.
The EFL masterminds honoured
The glittering LMA awards also shone a spotlight on EFL brilliance. Frank Lampard was named Championship Manager of the Year after masterminding Coventry City’s triumphant promotion back to the top flight.
Meanwhile, Bromley boss Andy Woodman, father of Liverpool goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, clinched the League Two Manager of the Year award after steering the Ravens to a sensational league title in only their second season as an EFL club.
Next stop: European dominance
Arteta’s historic double could become an unprecedented treble if Arsenal conquer Paris Saint-Germain in this weekend’s Champions League final in Budapest.
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Refusing to let his players dial down, the Arsenal boss demanded they ride the wave of domestic euphoria straight into the European showcase.
“We need that energy to flow, and going against that, I think it will be a big mistake. We already talked about what we have to do in Budapest and how we’re going to use all the incredible energy we’re carrying towards that final, and tomorrow we’re going to start preparing for it. And we can’t wait to write a new chapter in the history of our club and lift the Champions League.”