'We can't wait to lift the Champions League' - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta sends 'incredible energy' warning to PSG after Premier League title success

Arsenal finally lifted Premier League trophy following a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in their last domestic match of the season. The scenes of jubilation marked a significant milestone for the club, but Arteta is already demanding more from his players as they prepare for the biggest game in European football against PSG on Saturday.

The Spaniard is determined to ensure that the celebrations do not dull his side's competitive edge. "We need that energy to flow and going against that, I think it will be a big mistake," Arteta said. "We talked about already what we have to do in Budapest, how we're going to use all the incredible energy that we're all carrying towards that final, and tomorrow we're going to start to prepare it."

While the Premier League trophy represents a massive achievement for a side that had finished as runners-up for three consecutive seasons, the Champions League remains the final frontier. Arsenal have never won Europe's elite club competition, and Arteta is acutely aware of the opportunity to immortalise this current squad in the history books.

"And we can't wait to write a new chapter in the history of our club and lift the Champions League," Arteta added, signalling his intent to secure a historic continental and domestic double.

Arteta, who won the FA Cup in his debut season in 2020, has navigated several years of near-misses before reaching this pinnacle. He believes the "champion" status will provide his team with a psychological boost that could prove vital when they step out under the lights in Budapest next weekend.

"I said to the boys that this shirt now represents something else," Arteta explained. "We are the champions, and that brings a lot of confidence and a different kind of presence and energy to it. But as well, another kind of responsibility as well. My job now and everybody at the club is going to be lift those standards now and achieve much more, because I think we are capable of doing it."

After falling short in the final weeks of previous campaigns, the sense of relief was palpable for the Arsenal boss as he celebrated on the pitch with his family. Having used visualisation techniques to picture himself with the trophy, the reality of the situation has left the manager feeling vindicated in his methods.

"I'm the same one but I'm happier and relieved, I would say," Arteta confessed. "Obviously throughout this journey we have made some massive steps. We have accomplished a lot of things that, in my opinion, have a lot of value. But at the end of the day, we are here to win major trophies. That was the ultimate goal. We came very close, and in three locations we fell short at the end, and that was very painful. But I think that's what has driven all of us to find new ways to show what we are made of. That's why I said that the manner that we've done it, it makes it even better."

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