Mikel Arteta hoping to replicate Chelsea's winning mentality at Arsenal as London rivals clash in FA Cup Final

Mikel Arteta will have the chance to win his first trophy as Arsenal manager at Wembley on Saturday
Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Mikel Arteta wants to recreate Chelsea’s winning culture at Arsenal.

The Gunners and Blues will go head to head in the FA Cup Final on Saturday as both Arteta and Frank Lampard try to win their first trophy since moving into management.

Lampard has enjoyed a successful first season at Chelsea, securing qualification for next season’s Champions League, and he now has the chance to add silverware too.

That would be Chelsea's 17th major trophy since owner Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003 and Arteta wants to recreate the Blues’ winning mentality at Arsenal.

“They have some very important core players in those winning teams and it has probably given them a platform to be consistent,” said Arteta.

“They have had some really good managers, players and structure at the football club.

"But before the time you mentioned, they were not a winning team.

"But they managed to change that mindset and convince players and put the pressure on everybody at the club that the only aim and the only thing that was allowed at that football club was to win.

"When that happens, obviously everybody performs better.

In Pictures | Arsenal's final training session ahead of FA Cup final

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“I think we have some really good core players. We need to add certain things, but we have the ability and the possibility tomorrow to win a trophy - so that tells us that we are close.”

Should Arsenal win the FA Cup, their celebrations will be muted compared to years gone by due to social distancing guidelines.

There will be no huge party or open-top bus parade and Arteta has revealed Arsenal are also talking to players about where they go on holiday.

Arsenal players will get three weeks off after Saturday’s final, but fears over countries going into lockdown means there is apprehension about people going abroad.

“It’s something we’re addressing with the Premier League, what we can and cannot do,” Arteta said. “We need to get into a common sense situation in order to provide what we need.

“We need to value what the players and the clubs have done and also to be a little bit flexible because we live in probably the most protected environment that any industry in the country has with the amount of testing, precautions and protocols that we have in place.”

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