From hunters to hunted: Arsenal ready to retain Premier League crown

Aug 14 : Arsenal finally ended a 24-year wait to win the Premier League title last season but history shows that successfully defending it is a rare achievement, leaving manager Mikel Arteta with the unenviable task of turning a breakthrough into a habit.Only three managers - Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola - have retained the Premier League crown, a reminder that England's cut-throat top flight has a habit of consuming champions almost as quickly as it celebrates them.Arteta enters the 2026-27 campaign attempting to join that exclusive company, no longer the hungry challenger looking up but the man everyone else is trying to knock down.LONGEST-SERVING MANAGER At 44, Arteta is still younger than many imagine when they hear the word "veteran", yet the Spaniard begins the new