“We want to win it all“ – these are the words Mikel Merino used to describe Arsenal's ambitions for the season. The Londoners beat Lille 3-0 on Tuesday and recorded their second consecutive Champions League success. Jurgen Klopp, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka scored the goals at the “Emirates“.
The victory extended Arsenal's run of 14 consecutive victories in the group stage and main stage of the Champions League. In nine of those matches, the team did not concede a goal. After a heavy 0-3 defeat at Brighton before the international break, Mikel Arteta's men returned to winning ways in the Premier League, where they narrowly beat Leeds 2-1. Arsenal have won 14 of their last 17 league games and are three points behind leaders Manchester City.
Merino remembers well how little he achieved for the team last season. Arsenal reached the Champions League and League Cup finals but lost both, and their elimination by Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals left the team with just one trophy for 2025/26. Now the Spaniard believes the squad has the strength to fight for all the honours. “The aim is to win the Champions League, the Premier League - to win everything. "That's what the manager wants, that's what the fans want and that's what we, the players, want," he told Sky Sports.
When asked if Arsenal could win all four trophies - the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup - Merino replied in the affirmative. "Absolutely. That's our attitude and our goal. Last season we were so close and that showed us we were ready. Now it's all about the details - being focused and ready at the right time. We believe we can do it," the midfielder said.
Arsenal haven't won more than one trophy in a season, not counting the Community Shield, since 2001/02, when they won the Premier League and FA Cup. The road to the four trophies is long, but Merino has made it clear that the team has no intention of limiting their ambitions. The Londoners will face Fleetwood Town in the last 16 of the League Cup, and their participation in the FA Cup begins in January.