EXCLUSIVE: Mikel Obi backs Arsenal to retain title but demands more expressive football

The Gunners finally ended a 22-year wait for the English top-flight crown last season, finishing seven points clear of Manchester City after picking up 85 points. It was the reward for Arteta’s long-term project after three consecutive second-place finishes.

Now, however, Arsenal enter a different phase. They are no longer chasing the title, they are defending it.

For Mikel Obi, who spoke to Flashscore during his visit to Ghana for The Obi One podcast, that distinction should allow the champions to play with greater freedom.

The former Chelsea midfielder believes Arsenal’s biggest advantage heading into the new campaign is stability. While several of their closest rivals have undergone major changes, Arsenal have retained the core of the side that finally delivered the Premier League trophy.

“Arsenal, I think they win because, again, they are the team that is settled. They have had the same team for the past five or six years, the same manager. He has built the team, he has built the winning squad, and now again he has added to that squad.

“I think they will get better and better. You can see City now, they struggle. Pep Guardiola has left, a lot of players have left, Rodri has gone. Chelsea have a new manager, Liverpool have a new manager, Newcastle have a new manager, Tottenham have a new manager, Manchester City as well, and Manchester United still have a relatively new manager.

“When you put all of that into consideration, Arsenal are the team that is steady, stable and settled. I think that is something that is going to give them the advantage this season,” he told Flashscore.

‘How do they defend it?’

Mikel Obi’s prediction is clear as he believes Arsenal will retain the title. But his bigger question is how they do it.

The Gunners’ title-winning campaign was built on defensive solidity, while set-pieces became one of their most potent weapons. Yet Mikel believes that with the weight of 22 years of expectation now removed, Arsenal should be liberated to show more of their attacking talent.

“I think they will go on to defend the title, but again, the question is: how do they defend it? Do they play more entertaining football, more exciting football, or are they going to be boring like they did last year?

“We want to see them express themselves because they have the players there. They have the talent to do it. Be free, express yourself. Now the pressure of not having won it for the past 22 years is gone.

“Now they have to be free, play with freedom, defend it with pride. That’s what we want.”

Mikel Obi says he wants to see less reliance on set-pieces and gamesmanship that has occasionally overshadowed the quality within Arteta’s squad.

“We don’t want to see the boring Arsenal scoring with set-pieces and corner-kicks. The first game I saw, they played well, they were exciting. That’s what the fans want to see.”

The opening game Mikel Obi refers to came as Arsenal began their title defence with a convincing 3-0 victory over newly promoted Coventry City, with Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard among the scorers.

For Mikel Obi, it was a glimpse of the version of Arsenal he wants to see more consistently.

‘I talk about the things nobody wants to talk about’

The Nigerian has previously been outspoken about Arsenal’s use of set-pieces and their approach to slowing games down, and he insists his criticism has never been rooted in hostility towards the club.

Instead, he sees it as part of a wider argument about how the game should be played.

“Listen, when I talk about Arsenal, I talk about the things that nobody wants to talk about. That’s the thing. I talk about the things that people don’t want to talk about most of the time.

“The corner-kicks, the way they won games. I wasn’t making it up. Now what has happened? FIFA has changed the rules.”

There have indeed been changes to the Laws of the Game aimed at reducing time-wasting. From the 2025/26 season, goalkeepers holding the ball for more than eight seconds can be penalised with a corner for the opposition.

Further measures were approved in 2026, including five-second countdowns for deliberately delayed throw-ins and goal-kicks, with the changes set to apply at the 2026 World Cup and other competitions.

The former midfielder believes those developments vindicate concerns he had already raised.

“The waste of time has changed. They take 20 seconds to kick a corner, to take a throw-in, all that has changed. FIFA has changed the rules. You can’t foul now.

“So if I wasn’t saying the truth, nobody would care about it. But it means I was saying something that was right. A lot of people are scared to say it, but I say the things that people don’t want to say.”

His criticism, however, is not intended to take anything away from Arsenal’s achievements.

“I don’t have a problem with Arsenal. They can win a game however they choose to win a game, but I want to see the game played in the right way, in an honest way, whereby you can’t keep fouling the goalkeeper time after time.”

The West Ham game that still sticks with him

For Mikel Obi, the match against West Ham from Arsenal’s title-winning campaign remains particularly significant.

He believes it exposed the fine line between exploiting the rules and crossing a line that can affect the integrity of a match.

“The game against West Ham was the pivotal one last year. I think that game will be talked about for many, many years because a lot of things happened.

“Arsenal were scoring so many goals like that, but then when it happened against them, a foul was given.”

Regardless of the debate surrounding individual incidents, Mikel insists his motivation is not anti-Arsenal.

He simply wants to see the champions combine their competitive edge with the attacking freedom their squad should allow.

“I have nothing against Arsenal. I wish them well, but of course I want to see my team Chelsea continue to win. I hope we get back to winning ways.”