Arteta Shocks Fans with Bold Quadruple Declaration: "We Have the Momentum and Belief"
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta chose not to completely dismiss hopes of achieving an historic quadruple this campaign, rather emphasizing that his squad "are developing excellent momentum and confidence" which was further strengthened by Wednesday's triumph at Stamford Bridge.
The 3–2 victory against Chelsea provided the Gunners with a favorable position heading into the return leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at the Emirates next month. Arteta's team comfortably defeated Portsmouth in the FA Cup last weekend and currently lead both the Premier League and Champions League league phase standings.
William Saliba fueled this quadruple discussion by expressing frustration over his recent lack of personal trophies. "I'm weary of ending seasons empty-handed, so now we have four tournaments we can claim."
With over four months remaining in the campaign, Arteta could reasonably dismiss any talk of accomplishing something no English club has ever managed before. In an uncommon departure from the naturally cautious manager's approach, he chose not to restrict his team's goals.
"We are developing excellent momentum and confidence stems from displays and the standard of reliability we have demonstrated across 32 matches this season," Arteta addressed the gathered press this week.
"What we accomplished recently at Stamford Bridge should reinforce our conviction that we possess the capability to achieve that."
Declan Rice already knew. pic.twitter.com/p0GhrcVIcL
A touch of pragmatism did return to his perspective. "The truth is you must demonstrate it in each match," he continued. "There remains so much yet to unfold. But we are pleased that we continue competing in all four tournaments."
Arteta might prefer concentrating on claiming just one significant trophy instead of pursuing all four. The former club captain has collected two Community Shields since securing the FA Cup before an empty Wembley Stadium in 2020.
Arsène Wenger notably never captured the EFL Cup during his tenure in north London while it has been 22 years since his Invincible team claimed the Premier League crown without suffering defeat. No Arsenal squad has ever secured the Champions League, coming nearest in 2006 when they fell in the final to Barcelona.
Have Any Team Ever Won a Quadruple?
Have Any Team Ever Won a Quadruple?
Securing a treble is challenging enough—Manchester City (2023–24) and Manchester United (1998–99) remain the sole English clubs to have accomplished the achievement of claiming the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup within a single campaign. No team has ever supplemented the EFL Cup to that collection since the tournament's establishment in 1960.
Very few countries even possess the opportunity of claiming a quadruple given the rarity of two significant domestic cup tournaments. France was among the limited major European nations to feature such a competition before eliminating it in 2020, preventing Luis Enrique's current dominant Paris Saint-Germain team from pursuing a genuine quadruple.
PSG did secure four trophies in 2024–25, adding to an established European treble—league championship, Champions League and primary domestic cup—with the Trophée des Champions, France's equivalent to England's Community Shield.
Jupp Heynckes's Bayern Munich of 2012–13 accomplished the same collection of four trophies after beginning their treble-winning campaign with victory in the DFL Supercup against Borussia Dortmund.
Nevertheless, there exists one club that achieved a quadruple—or potentially a quintuple depending on your assessment of the Glasgow Cup's importance.
Jock Stein's 1966–67 Celtic team remains legendary. A completely homegrown roster consisting almost entirely of players born within 10 miles of Celtic Park dominated everything in their path while playing an enchanting style of attacking football that contrasted with the defensive approach that dominated the era.
After sweeping through domestic competition, claiming the league title, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup, the Hoops faced Helenio Herrera's Inter in the European Cup final. Continental winners in two of the previous three seasons, the Nerazzurri were notorious for their extremely defensive strategy which was labeled catenaccio, the small bolt on the door to ensure it remained securely fastened.
Herrera's great team was consumed by self-imposed anxiety by the time they met Celtic in Lisbon, eventually crumbling in a 2–1 loss that left Stein amazed by his own masterpiece. "Victory was crucial, but it was our method of winning that has brought me such fulfillment," he declared. "We achieved it through football; pure, magnificent, creative football."