Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta celebrates after their win against Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Monday. Photograph: John Walton/PA Wire
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta celebrates after their win against Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Monday. Photograph: John Walton/PA Wire
It has become conventional to believe that Mikel Arteta arrived at Arsenal as a disciple of his former boss Pep Guardiola, only to rethink his purist principles and develop towards a more physical style – a process of learning and evolution that has culminated in Arsenal’s first Premier League title in 22 years.
New archival research reveals that readers of The Irish Times have been alert to the true nature of this man from the beginning.
When Arsenal beat Chelsea in the 2020 Covid-era FA Cup final, The Irish Times noted: “Arsenal’s patient, tenacious performance was in keeping with the attitude instilled...