For years, the question surrounding Mikel Arteta was simple: could he return Arsenal to the summit of English football?Now there is a different question.Can he keep them there?After ending their long wait for a Premier League title and subsequently committing his future to the club with a new contract, Arteta enters what may prove the defining phase of his managerial career. The rebuild is complete. Arsenal are champions. The task now is transforming a successful team into a dominant one.That challenge is considerably more difficult.The Foundations Are ThereThe strongest argument in Arsenal’s favour is that they have already completed the hardest part.When Arteta took charge in 2019, the club was drifting. Arsenal were sitting 10th in the Premier League and lacked a clear identity. Since then, the transformation has touched every aspect of the organisation, from the squad itself to the culture surrounding the first team.Unlike many champions who emerge unexpectedly and then struggle to sustain success, Arsenal’s rise has been deliberate.The squad is young but experienced. The core remains intact. Many of the key players are either entering or approaching their peak years.Those factors matter enormously when discussing long-term dominance.The Premier League Is There to Be ControlledThere is a compelling case that Arsenal’s opportunity has arrived at exactly the right time. For much of the last decade, any discussion of dominance immediately collided with one reality: Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. That landscape appears different now.Several rivals are navigating periods of instability, while Arsenal possess something every elite side craves: continuity.Arteta remains in place. The sporting structure remains stable. The playing squad remains largely together. The ownership group has publicly spoken about entering a “win window” and even discussed ambitions of domination.The ingredients are there.The challenge is converting them into sustained success.History Says Dominance Is Harder Than SuccessWinning one title is difficult. Winning several is what defines greatness.Arteta has reached the first milestone. The second is considerably more demanding.The list of managers who have won multiple Premier League titles is remarkably exclusive. Figures such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola did not become legendary because they won once.They became legendary because their teams remained winners. This is where Arsenal face their toughest examination.Every opponent raises their level against champions. Motivation becomes harder to maintain. Success creates complacency if leaders allow it.The next two seasons will reveal whether Arsenal have merely won a title, or established an era.There Is Still One Obvious WeaknessThe concern is that Arsenal may still lack one crucial ingredient.For all their excellence over recent years, there have been recurring questions about attacking efficiency.Even during title-winning campaigns, observers have noted occasions when Arsenal’s attacking play lacked unpredictability and ruthlessness. Those concerns were particularly evident during their Champions League final defeat, where they struggled to create sustained attacking danger after taking the lead.Defensively, Arsenal appear as strong as almost anyone in Europe. Structurally, they are elite. Mentally, they have improved enormously.But dynasties are often built around attackers who decide the biggest matches.Whether Arsenal possess enough firepower to dominate year after year remains a legitimate question.The Champions League Is the Ultimate TestDomestic dominance is one objective. Winning the Champions League is another entirely.The encouraging sign is that Arsenal are no longer outsiders in Europe. They reached only their second Champions League final last season, a landmark achievement that reflects how far Arteta’s side have progressed.The worrying sign is what happened next.The final exposed several areas where Arsenal still lag behind Europe’s absolute elite.The margins become smaller in knockout football. Mistakes become more expensive. Moments become more decisive.Winning the Champions League demands not only quality but also a degree of ruthlessness that Arsenal are still striving to perfect.Why Arteta May Be Their Biggest AdvantageIf Arsenal are to build a dynasty, their greatest asset may not be a player. It may be the manager.The club’s hierarchy clearly believes that Arteta provides something irreplaceable. The renewal of his contract reflects confidence not merely in the results but in the culture he has created.That culture has become one of Arsenal’s defining strengths. Supporters are reconnected to the club. Standards are higher than they have been for years. Expectations have been elevated. Perhaps most importantly, Arsenal now possess a clear football identity.That consistency gives them a genuine chance of remaining at the top for years rather than months.The VerdictCan Arsenal achieve long-term Premier League dominance? Yes.In fact, they may have a better opportunity than at any point since the height of the Wenger era.The squad profile is right. The manager is right. The structure is right. The timing may be right as well.But dominance requires proof. Winning one title earns admiration. Winning several earns immortality.As for the Champions League, Arsenal are closer than they have been in decades. Yet they still need to demonstrate that they possess the attacking edge and big-game ruthlessness required to conquer Europe’s most demanding competition.The encouraging news for Arsenal supporters is that the club no longer looks like a hopeful challenger. It looks like a genuine powerhouse.The next few years will determine whether Arteta’s Arsenal become remembered as champions or as something much rarer: a dynasty.The post The Next Challenge for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal Is Even Harder Than Winning the Title appeared first on SoccerNews.