By ISAAN KHAN
Published: 17:00 EST, 20 December 2024 | Updated: 17:00 EST, 20 December 2024
Upon taking charge of Arsenal on December 20th 2019, Mikel Arteta laid out his intentions in no uncertain terms.
‘I want people to take responsibility for their jobs and I want people who deliver passion and energy in the football club,’ he said, in his first Arsenal press conference.
‘Anyone who doesn't buy into this, or that has a negative effect or whatever, is not good enough for this environment or this culture.’
Friday marks his five years in the post — and the above words still resonate. ‘Super Mik Arteta’, as ascribed by the Gunners fanbase, has headed the transformation of a club from stuttering mediocrity in eighth place in the Premier League to tussling with Manchester City for the title. It’s been done over the course of a reign filled with many highs, a few lows — and, most pivotally, an exhaustive rebuild.
Already facing a daunting six-point deficit to league leaders Liverpool this season, who have a game in hand, he is at a crossroads moment. The question remains: can the 42-year-old make that final step and bring major silverware back to north London?
Arteta, the league’s third-longest serving boss — behind Man City’s Pep Guardiola and Brentford’s Thomas Frank — can, for today, reflect on just how far he and the North London have come.
Friday marks five years since Mikel Arteta took charge and headed Arsenal's transformation
Upon taking charge of Arsenal in 2019, Arteta laid out his intentions in no uncertain terms
Arteta has taken the club from stuttering mediocrity to tussling with Man City for the title
‘It was my first big job and it was in the middle of the season. I knew the difficulty of the situation,’ Arteta told Sky Sports this week, reflecting on his appointment as Arsenal manager.
He had inherited a team in disarray. The Gunners were sitting 10th in the league under Unai Emery, a manager who struggled controlling the big egos and not helped by a crumbling boardroom.
Fan resentment was already spilling over from the Arsene Wenger era, having failed to finish higher than fifth in the league after finishing as runners-up in the 2015-16 season.
So, for the then 37-year-old Spaniard, who had a bloated and ageing squad at his disposal, the task ahead was steep indeed — which makes his ascent all the more impressive.
Appointing him was a gamble in some ways by the Kroenke Sports and Entertainement (KSE) ownership, headed by Stan and Josh Kroenke, as reflected by the ‘head coach’ title initially given to him rather than ‘manager’.
Arteta had been assistant manager at Man City under mentor Guardiola from July 2016, but yet to take on a frontline post.
It was now sink or swim — with no swimming aids available. In the first two years, particularly, Arteta faced moments which would go on to define his tenure.
His first-half season in charge led to an eighth-place finish; extensive surgery is not done overnight. But it was the 2020-21 campaign which saw Arsenal reach depths some owners will have not tolerated.
Arsenal looked light years off of Man City's level during Arteta's first full seasons
Arteta inherited a team lacking in star quality, brimming with ageing talent on hefty contracts
At one stage, the Gunners were on a run of eight defeats in 12 league matches. That’s unthinkable now and a credit to the Kroenkes’ patience.
Context matters, though. Those first two years were marked by player unrest, the Covid pandemic and fan fury. But it was the multiple contract terminations of high-profile players which set the tone and laid a marker; it was either Arteta’s way or out the door.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Shkodran Mustafi, Sead Kolasinac and Sokratis Papastathopoulos' deals were ripped up. These were high earners either close to 30 or over, and deemed surplus to requirements.
The two biggest culls were of Mesut Ozil, and then Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 2021-22 season. Ozil was Arsenal’s record signing and darling under Wenger. But under Arteta, there was friction. He was omitted from Arsenal's 25-man Premier League squad, leaving him eligible only to play for the Under-23s, which spelt the end for him.
With Aubameyang, Arteta again laid down the law, omitting his captain from the matchday squad facing Southampton on December 11, 2021 for ‘disciplinary reasons’. The final straw was arriving late back to the club from a pre-arranged trip to see his mother.
Three days later Arteta had stripped him of the captain's armband and his contract was terminated over a month later on February 1, 2022.
That sense of ruthlessness goes beyond players Arteta doesn’t take to. Even William Saliba, who has gone on to become one of Europe’s best defenders, was at one stage at risk of being jettisoned.
The centre back, a £25million acquisition six months before Arteta arrived, spent some of the 2020-21 season with the Under-23s, before being loaned out to French side Nice.
Arteta laid down the law with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after terminating his contract
Bukayo Saka has been Arteta's prized possession throughout much of his time in charge
William Saliba has emerged as one of the best defenders in football under the Spaniard
The squad overhaul under Arteta has been extensive. Of the starting line-up for his first game in charge, against Bournemouth on Boxing Day 2019, Bukayo Saka — playing at left-back — is the only player still at the club today (though Reiss Nelson is on loan at Fulham).
The players he started his reign with were not of the quality required for battling England’s best teams. The Spaniard knew he had to adapt, taking on a pragmatic approach on the pitch. As seen in their FA Cup-winning run in 2020, Arteta’s side on occasion settled for ceding possession and relying on counter-attacks for goal-scoring opportunities.
In their 2-0 victory over Man City in the semi-finals, Arsenal had just 29 per cent of possession and four shots at goal in comparison to Man City’s 16 shots.
Adapting playing styles from season to season has become a skill Arteta has mastered. The 2022-23 campaign saw the Gunners unleash an attacking brand of football, scoring 88 goals in the league which was a club record.
Last season, Arsenal conceded just 29 league goals — their best defensive record in 20 years — in a title bid built on a solid defensive structure.
And so far this season, Arteta has relied more on set-piece goals, and goals and assists from a concentrated number of players — such as Saka and Kai Havertz — rather than a shared burden.
This adaptability has been made possible by a significant transfer budget. Since Arteta came in, the Gunners have a net spend of £500.14million, according to data from Football Transfers. In comparison, Man City's net spend is just £59.75m in that same period — though theirs is helped by the significant fees received for young talent.
The five years before Arteta yielded a £235.4m net spend, which is a significant difference.
Such funds have allowed him to mould a younger, more harmonious squad laced with big-money signings such as the £105m spent on Declan Rice.
The start of Arteta's Arsenal transformation saw them clinch the FA Cup back in 2020
Arteta broke the bank to secure the services of midfielder Declan Rice (above) from West Ham
Arteta was able to guide Arsenal back into the Champions League for the 2023-24 season
Among the names, there have been some brave calls. The £65m given to London rivals Chelsea for Havertz was widely questioned after the player’s slow start.
Amid calls to drop him, Arteta refused and backed his man. He tinkered with the German’s positioning before finding him a centre-forward role and showering him with confidence.
Havertz has struck 10 goals this season, adding to the nine in his final 18 games of the previous term.
Then there was the signature of David Raya, who replaced Aaron Ramsdale after the England goalkeeper’s dependable displays in the 2022-23 season.
Raya looked jittery at times last season, such as the error against Tottenham in April, but is now one of Europe’s most in-form keepers. He was signed under the insistence of Arteta.
It is this decision-making power he has yielded over the years which has spread across so many facets of the club.
Whether it’s bringing in set-piece supremo Nicolas Jover from Man City or having a say in who will be the sporting director to replace Edu, Arteta’s influence is engrained in the club.
All football-related decisions go through him, which is unlike the structure at some other clubs.
Arteta has been at the heart of every decision made at the club since his arrival
It has helped that he and Edu, who was sporting director up until his departure last month, shared a close relationship. It was Edu, as technical director, who brought Arteta in, in the first place. The executive branch, including executive vice-chair Tim Lewis (a key conduit between staff and the Kroenkes) and managing director Richard Garlick, supported the pair’s vision.
But it goes back to Arteta’s intense personality. That tigerish look in the eye rears its head when his back is up to the wall. A perfect encapsulation was after the controversial 1-0 defeat to Newcastle in November last year, Anthony Gordon’s winning goal passing three separate VAR checks.
‘You have to talk about how the hell did this goal stand up? Incredible,’ he fumed afterwards.
‘I feel embarrassed. I have to now come in here and try to defend the club and please ask for help, because it’s an absolute disgrace that this goal is allowed. An absolute disgrace.’
Arteta has transformed individuals within his ranks - with Kai Havertz finding a new purpose
The new season thus far has been challenging for Arteta. At a time when Man City are experiencing a slump, instead of Arsenal seizing on the moment, Arne Slot’s Liverpool have picked up the mantle and are currently leading the way.
After five years of steady improvement, the notion of stalled progress is being felt for the first time.
But there is hope. The Gunners are also still fighting on four fronts having claimed a place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals with their win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.
Arteta, as well as Arsenal supporters, will hope the five years serves as a bookmark towards a chapter on silverware success — rather than a bookend of what could have been.