Arteta responds to Supercomputer prediction on Arsenal as favourites for Champions League and Premier League
By Luke Oluoch, September 11, 2026Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has reacted to news of a supercomputer placing the Gunners as favourites for both the English Premier League and the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League title, following their near-miss last season.
The Gunners suffered a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to PSG, seeing their quest for a maiden European elite competition title go up in smoke.
However, Arsenal have seemingly moved on from that disappointment, kicking off their return to Europe on a winning note by edging Napoli 1-0 on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
The club further bolstered its ranks with the summer addition of Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle, their headline transfer business—as they seek to make amends in Europe.
Winning the next game
The question of their favourite tag cropped up ahead of their weekend clash against Sunderland, with Arteta reacting to the supercomputer giving his team a 53.71 chance of winning the league and defending their domestic crown.
“I am only interested in winning tomorrow night; that’s the most important thing, and make that as high as possible. We have to really earn it on the pitch against a really tough opponent,” he responded with a wry smile.
According to Opta’s latest projections, Arsenal have a 20.9 per cent chance of lifting the trophy, narrowly ahead of Bayern Munich at 19.4 per cent. Manchester City are third with 12.3 per cent, while Barcelona and defending champions PSG complete the top five with 8.2 per cent and 7.1 per cent, respectively.
Bayern Munich are the closest challengers at 19.4 per cent. The German champions are actually rated as the most likely team to finish top of the league phase, with Arsenal second at 18.8 per cent.
The remarks follow the Spaniard’s sentiments on Arsenal’s transfer business, where he expressed his satisfaction with the squad at his disposal and the balance in the team.
Speaking on Saturday, September 5, 2026, Arteta opined that the London club put in a good transfer process and ended up in a better position than they were last year.
“We have shown the right ambition for the things we had to do, and the process we have put in place is top.”
“I was really happy last season, and I am happy. Today we talk about the squad depth that we have, and I think we are better equipped, especially in the position where we had injuries last year and struggled in,” he insisted.
Arsenal will travel to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland on Saturday, September 12, with a late kick-off at 10:00 pm.