Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta at the final whistle after the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. (Image: PA)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta at the final whistle after the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. (Image: PA)
Off the back of a Premier League victory and amid the excitement of another title push, it’s easy to forget the turbulence that surrounded the early days of Mikel Arteta’s tenure as Arsenal manager.
During the post-Unai Emery recovery, Covid, and ownership protests, the extremities of the fanbase were divided all while Arteta was scraping 8th place finishes and rebuilding the entire identity of the football club.
Out of necessity, Arteta was tasked with making some massive decisions. First up was fixing the dressing room culture and application on the pitch, which saw him phase out big stars like Mesut Özil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, despite the latter playing a huge role in the 2020 FA Cup win.
Then bringing in Ben White for £50 million while loaning out William Saliba as a huge prospect, only to miss out on top four to Tottenham towards the end of the season. All part of the project, all part of a wider vision to return the Premier League to North London.
Arteta had to endure a string of difficult results in the early years, navigating Covid with Zoom training sessions, and a demanding fan base when supporters were allowed back into the Emirates at the end of it.
Building better habits brick by brick, from a stern defence to a more cohesive culture to North London Forever to get fans together pre-game.
But the big decisions didn’t stop. Aaron Ramsdale was replaced by David Raya when there was seemingly no reason to swap first choice keepers. Kai Havertz was brought in for big money despite struggling at rivals Chelsea. Declan Rice was acquired for over £100 million to be the cornerstone of the project.
Three nearly seasons of second place, all without a trophy followed, with questions circling from the outside about whether Arteta could ever lead Arsenal to the Premier League and beyond. And then last season after all the big decisions, persistence and building, Arteta’s Arsenal finally got over the line.
All of that to say Arsenal have got themselves a special manager who deserves the trust and patience of the fanbase through results and transfer windows to come. At a time when other clubs are in transition or acting unethically, Arteta is expected to sign a new deal this season in order to take the project further again to build on last season’s Premier League win.