Liverpool legend John Barnes does not think Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta needs to win more trophies to be considered a success.
Arteta led Arsenal to an FA Cup after less than a year at the club but is without a trophy since.
Regardless, the Gunners are a completely different side now to when the Spaniard took charge in December 2019.
He has transformed them into title challengers and came incredibly close to winning the Premier League in 2023/24 after a second-place finish the year prior.
The lack of silverware is not an issue, according to Barnes, who used Erik ten Hag’s – who is second in the Premier League sack race – two domestic honours at Manchester United to emphasise why it isn’t the be all and end all.
“Well, if football is all about winning trophies, then Ten Hag has been better than Mikel Arteta, but is that statement true? Of course, it isn’t,” Barnes said.
“Erik Ten Hag hasn’t done a better job at Manchester United than Mikel Arteta has at Arsenal because he’s won a League and FA Cup. Management success is not just about silverware.
“Liverpool’s best season under Jurgen Klopp was when we finished second in the league on 100 points to Man City, we lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid, but it was our best season.
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“It’s not about silverware, it’s about winning every single week. Being a team that consistently challenges for the biggest prizes. If you get 100 points losing two matches and someone else wins the league, you’ve had a great season.
“You can win silverware by winning the FA Cup because you’ve played Coventry in the semi-final, you can win the League Cup by playing nobody. Is it successful for a club like Manchester United, with its resources to win the FA Cup and finish eighth? It’s that success? Success is winning football matches, and you can’t ask any more than that from Arteta.”
Barnes adds that Kai Havertz is good enough to lead the line for Arsenal, who do not need to spend big money on a striker who guarantees you 20 goals a season.
He said: “If I’m not mistaken, were Arsenal the top goal scorers last year? They were indeed, so why does Kai Havertz need to score more goals for Arsenal this season? Arsenal scored more goals than any other team last season.
“For Arsenal to challenge for the title, it’s not about one individual scoring goals, it’s about the way the team plays.
“I remember at Liverpool when [Mohamed] Salah and [Sadio] Mane were scoring goals and [Roberto] Firmino was chipping in, and we had scored so many goals. Then the problem was that Fabinho, [Jordan] Henderson and [James] Milner didn’t score enough.
“What would happen if they scored more goals? Mo Salah and Mane would score less.
“If Havertz scores more goals, Arsenal will probably score less, but he’ll have more as an individual. A title challenge can never be boiled down to the impact of one player, it’s always about the team.
“At this moment in time, Arsenal don’t need Havertz to score more goals. Arsenal proved last season that they didn’t need a 20-goal-a-season striker, because they play a brand of football where the goals get shared.”
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Barnes also praised Bukayo Saka, who would not have the same impact at a different club.
“Bukayo Saka has been fantastic for Arsenal,” he said. “They’ve given him a chance to showcase his talent in his best position and he has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent players for several seasons now.
“If he joined another club, I don’t think he would do as well because he would be playing a different style of football. Sometimes players suit clubs.
“Players like Jordan Henderson, Mane, Firmino, when they left Liverpool and joined new clubs, they struggled. They suited the Liverpool brand of football and Saka is the same for Arsenal.
“In terms of what Arsenal want, he’s perfect. And for Arsenal to be able to win the Premier League, or when they play well in the Champions League, they need Saka to produce for them because he’s one of their most important players.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Saka. He’s a brilliant player. Arsenal play the type of football that suits him down to the ground.”
