Mikel Arteta spent thirteen-and-a-half seasons as a player in British football, featuring for Rangers, Everton and Arsenal in an impressive playing career - and having now spent five-and-a-half years at Arsenal as their boss, it's fair to say that he has seen his fair share of atmospheres up and down the island.
The Premier League and the Old Firm are noted for some of the loudest atmospheres in world football, attracting sell-out crowds every week, and with a lot on the line, passionate fans raise the decibel levels to spur their teams on to victory. Arteta will have seen the best of those, having been involved in an Old Firm derby between Rangers and Celtic, the Merseyside derby involving Everton and Liverpool, London derbies and battling for titles with the Gunners.
Arteta Says Playing at Anfield Left Him 'Emotionally and Physically Broken'
The midfielder couldn't get into a winning rhythm on the red half of Merseyside
Mikel Arteta
But there is one stadium in particular that sticks out for the Spaniard - and Everton fans may not like his answer, with the former midfielder stating that the atmosphere at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium ruined him 'emotionally and physically' to the point that he couldn't cope.
Mikel Arteta's career statistics - record by club (playing career)
Club
Everton
Arsenal
Rangers
Paris SG
Real Sociedad
Speaking in Arsenal's 'All or Nothing' documentary on Amazon, the Gunners' gaffer stated that the feeling he got when playing at the Merseyside relic was similar to the Spanish term, 'bajar', where he struggled with red shirts dominating his side and being suffocated under the pressure. He said:
“There is a word that we use in Spain in cycling, when a cyclist is going up and looks amazing, then in one kilometre he goes ‘boom’ and looks like he’s struggling again.
“The word is 'bajar', and I had it once, at Anfield. The game was going well and then suddenly I could only see red shirts flying around. The game is passing all over me and I cannot react.
“People said ‘what is he doing?’ and I cannot do it. I cannot do it emotionally, physically I cannot cope, everything goes too fast. I only had that feeling in my career once, and it was at Anfield.”
Arteta's Anfield Record Isn't Great
The Spaniard has only won there a handful of times in over 20 visits
Arteta
Arteta played at Anfield five times for Everton in the Premier League, drawing three times and losing twice for the Toffees under David Moyes - before four appearances at Anfield in the top-flight for Arsenal, winning his first two, before losing 5-1 and drawing his last game in an enthralling 3-3 draw.
His managerial record against the Reds isn't all too great away from home, either - he lost his first game there in the Premier League, before winning his second just three days later in a League Cup clash on penalties.
Since then, he's failed to win at Anfield, drawing four times and losing once - so it's not the worst total record in terms of losses, but winning is almost alien for the Barcelona academy graduate.
Anfield has been noted as having one of the best atmospheres in Europe and in the world, especially on Champions League nights when there is a lot on the line - and with Arsenal and Everton fixtures both meaning a lot to the Reds, he's not had an easy route to playing in front of the Kop End.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 08-07-25.
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