Arsenal’s Premier League title triumph—their first in 22 years—has been hailed as the awakening of a sleeping giant, but co-chair Josh Kroenke now reveals that the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic played an unexpectedly pivotal role in Mikel Arteta’s rebuild. Speaking to BBC Sport, Kroenke reflected on how the behind-closed-doors matches during the 2020-21 season granted Arteta a rare “space” to experiment and develop the squad without the immediate pressure of a frustrated fanbase. This breathing room, he suggests, allowed the young manager to navigate early pitfalls and ultimately forge a title-winning machine.
The Kroenke family’s takeover of Arsenal in 2018 was met with skepticism and protests, as supporters questioned their commitment. The departure of legendary manager Arsène Wenger after 22 years and the subsequent exit of chief executive Ivan Gazidis created a leadership vacuum. Kroenke admits the club was “straddling strategies,” torn between immediate success and a necessary foundational reset. The 2019 Europa League final defeat to Chelsea in Baku—a 4-0 thrashing—served as a brutal wake-up call. “Seeing that happen was the first time I came back and told my dad we need to really embrace where we are,” Kroenke recalled, acknowledging that taking a step back was essential to move forward.
Arteta’s appointment in December 2019 was a gamble: a former player with no senior managerial experience. Yet Kroenke insists the Spaniard’s character made him the obvious choice. “Anybody that gets a chance to be around Mikel, you can buy into what he’s selling pretty easily,” he said. During the pandemic, with stadiums empty, Arteta endured two eighth-place league finishes—results that might have sparked a fan revolt under normal circumstances. But the silence of the stands, Kroenke believes, was a hidden blessing. “There was something about Mikel having a little bit of ‘space’ during Covid,” he noted, explaining that the absence of vocal discontent allowed the team to grow through mistakes without external backlash.
That period of calm also saw the seeds of Arsenal’s future being sown. One pivotal moment came after the Baku defeat, when Kroenke asked then-academy manager Per Mertesacker how to find a transformative defender like Virgil van Dijk. Mertesacker’s instant response—“William Saliba”—led to the £27 million signing of the then-18-year-old from Saint-Étienne in July 2019. Saliba would mature into the defensive bedrock of Arsenal’s title charge, a testament to the club’s long-range planning during those turbulent years.
Kroenke’s vision of Arsenal as a “sleeping giant” was not hyperbole. The club’s fall from consistent Champions League qualification to a “Banter Era” of mockery on social media stung deeply. The co-chair, now 46, recalls feeling the shift: “I knew we were a sleeping giant that we needed to awaken.” He credits Arteta with modernizing the culture and harnessing the club’s latent potential. The title win, celebrated by tens of thousands at the Emirates, validated that faith.
The journey to the summit included moments of high drama. From his home in the United States, Kroenke experienced the agonizing VAR decision that disallowed a late West Ham goal with just three games remaining. “I was on my hands and knees in my living room,” he said, capturing the breathless tension shared by every Arsenal fan worldwide. That reprieve proved decisive, and the Gunners held on to clinch the championship.
Success has not dulled Arsenal’s ambition. With a Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain looming, Kroenke emphasized that the club’s strategy remains unchanged. “Should we get a great result on Saturday, it’s not going to change who we are,” he stated, insisting that winning the Premier League was always the primary goal because it opens the door to everything else. The summer transfer window will focus on strengthening to “stay top of the mountain,” acknowledging that rivals are already plotting to catch up.
The revival carries profound implications for the Premier League landscape. Arsenal’s ascent under Arteta, built on youthful talent and tactical clarity, has redrawn the competitive map. Kroenke’s candid reflections reveal that patience and circumstance—sometimes born of crisis—can be as critical as investment. The pandemic, for all its hardships, provided a cocoon that shielded a fledgling project from the harshest scrutiny.
Looking ahead, the challenge is to sustain excellence. Kroenke’s comments suggest a club no longer “straddling strategies” but laser-focused on continuous evolution. The sleeping giant has awakened, and its roar is now a staple of Europe’s elite. Based on reporting from BBC Sport.
