Adebayor: Arteta’s physical Arsenal finally have the steel to win the Premier League

Emmanuel Adebayor believes Mikel Arteta’s vision and a harder edge at the back are what finally turned Arsenal into Premier League champions.

The former Gunners striker, who scored 62 goals in 142 appearances after joining from Monaco in 2006, watched Arsenal end a 22-year wait for the title in 2025/26.

Speaking to Flashscore, the Togolese said the transformation began when Arteta arrived in 2019 with his own mentality, shaped by his years learning under Pep Guardiola.

Adebayor told Flashscore that Arteta’s recruitment of imposing defenders such as Gabriel and William Saliba came as no surprise. He described them as big, strong and physical, qualities he feels his Arsenal side lacked.

That blend of technical quality and physical steel, he argued, is essential in England. Playing beautiful football alone will never win a title. A team also needs players willing to battle and, if necessary, kick their way through games.

Arsenal is currently 2nd with 12 points after five games in the 2026/27 Premier League.

Adebayor never won the league at Arsenal or Manchester City, but he says he is happy that those who followed have achieved what his generation could not.