Mikel Arteta has improved Arsenal and improved himself as he has transformed club on and off the pitch and put them in a position to finally end Premier League title drought
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta has overseen amazing transformation(Image: Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
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Six years on and Mikel Arteta is in charge of a very different Arsenal both on and off the pitch.
In keeping with football’s habit for impeccable timing, Arteta took over as Arsenal manager on December 20, 2019, and opted to watch from the stands as his new side shared a goalless draw at Goodison Park 24 hours later.
This weekend, Arteta goes back to Everton hoping for a win to ensure they stay top of the PremierLeague table.
If you rewind six years, Arsenal were stuck in mid-table, a rudderless ship of a club who had lost their way under Unai Emery’s ill-fated reign which had left the fans disillusioned and fed-up.
Arteta admits he took over a club in a “difficult stage of history” and even now the Arsenal manager has been what Napoleon might call a “good general” rather than a lucky one.
In any other era, Arsenal would have won the title by now. They have had three second-place finishes. But Arteta is up against arguably the greatest manager of all time in Pep Guardiola and perhaps the best team of the Premier League era in Manchester City.
Under Arteta, Arsenal have set goal records and in 2023/24 they won 89 points which was just one shy of the Invincibles and the second highest tally in the club’s history. In any normal year, Arsenal would have been champions. But City pipped them by two points.
Arteta admits that when he took over even he was not sure how it would play out. This was his first senior coaching role, he was stepping out of Guardiola’s shadow at City and Arsenal was a struggling to recapture Arsene Wenger’s glory years.
But Arteta’s Arsenal revolution represents one of the most impressive pieces of work - and turnarounds - in English football.
Arsenal fans used to fight among themselves. It was toxic. The boardroom was not much better. And the dressing room was even worse. In-fighting, egos and big-name stars not delivering.
The back four at Everton that day was made up of Calum Chambers, David Luiz, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka at left back. That, with great respect to those players, is how far Arsenal have come.
Arteta won the FA Cup in his first season and that, arguably, gave him a cushion and credit for what was actually a turbulent first two full seasons in charge.
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta lifts the FA Cup(Image: Getty Images)
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If full crowds had been present when Arsenal lost at home to Burnley in December 2020 (arguably the lowest point of Arteta’s reign), then he might not have survived.
Instead, the club stood firm and their stance should be a reminder to other clubs that transformation takes time.
The biggest single thing that Arteta has done is to reconnect with the fans. It was Arteta who championed little things which matter like removing the pull-out tunnel at the Emirates to make it more intimidating for opponents but also make the home fans feel they are closer to the players.
Arteta loves “North London Forever” which Arsenal have tried to turn into an anthem. It is not for everyone - that painful second line “whatever the weather” - but it gets the vast majority singing before games.
You are kidding yourself if you think Arteta can be anything less than intense. But from those who see him at close quarter, he is better at dealing with players. The accusation used to be that he lacked humility and could be seen as arrogant.
Arteta has gone beyond that. Yes, he was brutal in shipping out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But this was a point of principle and standards. Even Arsenal’s biggest star would not be indulged for late time-keeping. That set a new tone.
Arteta is also calmer on the touchline. From being seen as lacking discipline last season when they got six red cards in the Premier League, only Newcastle have fewer bookings than Arsenal’s 20 and they have yet to receive a red card.
That is some turnaround - and very deliberate. Red cards cost Arsenal in key games last season - most notably at Manchester City when, after Leandro Trossard’s sending-off, they played with ten men for the entire second half and conceded a last gasp equaliser.
Michael Oliver showed Leandro Trossard a red card during Manchester City vs Arsenal last season
Trossard is given his marching orders against Man City
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They still need to address the injury issue. Some are bad luck. But others go beyond that. For example, why play Ben White four times in 11 days when he has just come back from injury?
Squad management and tapering down training is a must if Arsenal want to avoid another season of injuries derailing their title challenge.
Off the pitch, the recruitment has been bold and ambitious. Another huge summer when the club’s hierarchy broke the bank to sign the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi. When it looked like their business was done, they bought Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie.
No-one can accuse the club of not backing him. But it also raises expectation levels. Arteta is expected to win a major trophy this season and will have to live with that pressure.
After all, this is the longest post-war - 21 years - Arsenal have gone without winning the title. To be a serious club, it cannot go on longer. But Arteta would be the first to acknowledge that. That is his mindset.
Arteta’s revolution has transformed Arsenal in the space of six rollercoaster years. If he can complete the final step, then he will deserve his place as one of the club’s greatest-ever managers.
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