Mikel Arteta has silenced his doubters by leading Arsenal to the top of English football, restoring the Gunners to the top of the Premier League after a long absence. The Spaniard's influence on the team has been shaped by his playing career and his time working under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta has silenced his doubters by awakening sleeping giant Arsenal , restoring the Gunners to the top of English football. Twenty-two years on from Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles', Arsenal have finally got over the line to vindicate the Arteta project that began with his appointment back in 2019.
But Arteta was blessed with arguably the best apprenticeship, working alongside his long-time mentor turned title rival Pep Guardiola. When Guardiola arrived at Manchester City a decade ago, he sought out Arteta's experience of the English game and someone he knew from their playing days together at Barcelona.
'As a player and as a coach, he's been an inspiration for me, and he's the person who decided to bet on me, to include me as a second coach,' Arteta said of Guardiola last year. Yet in stark contrast to many other modern coaches, Arteta has not followed the Guardiola approach in building a side that has pipped his former boss to the title.
Arteta never quite made the grade at Barcelona but the influences on his playing career have moulded his outlook as a manager. After brief spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Rangers, Arteta finally found a home at Everton under David Moyes.
'I learned from him on the field and off the field about building a team and getting the right characters in the team to build what you want,' Arteta said of Moyes. An Arsenal side built on solid defensive foundations, and propelled towards the title from their strength at set-pieces, bears more similarity to the Moyes playbook than Guardiola's philosophy.
In his first meeting with the Arsenal hierarchy, Arteta reportedly presented a five-phase plan to drag the club back into contention at the top of the Premier League and in Europe. He quickly made his presence felt as seven players, including star names Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil, were unceremoniously let go as Arteta sought greater squad harmony.
A FA Cup win just months after taking charge bought him time, but it took another six years for more silverware to arrive. In his first season, Arsenal finished eighth, their worst league finish for 25 years, and failed to improve on that in the Covid-affected 2020/2021 campaign. A year later they botched the chance to qualify for the Champions League after a long absence with a late collapse to finish fifth.
Even when major progress resulted in three successive second-placed finishes, Arteta's ability to get Arsenal over the line was questioned. By building from the back he was often criticised for being too conservative and he has walked a fine line with his exhuberant touchline antics.
Even this season, many believed Arsenal had lost their way when they suffered four consecutive domestic defeats in March and April, ending their interest in the FA Cup and League Cup and allowing Manchester City back into the Premier League title race. But Arteta managed to right the ship this time to finish the campaign strongly, seeing off Guardola's men and moving to the brink of Arsenal's greatest-ever season.
If they beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30 they will be European champions for the first time.
'Sometimes when it is harder at the beginning then it is better so to see that transformation and the joy in the people,' Arteta said ahead of Arsenal's final home game of the season against Burnley
Arsenal Mikel Arteta Pep Guardiola David Moyes Building From The Back Conservative Approach Touchline Antics Champions League Final European Champions
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Humble PGA champ Rai celebrates English, Indian, Kenyan heritageAaron Rai grew up hardworking and humble in central England, family examples developing the patterns that led to his victory on Sunday at the PGA Championship.
Read more »
Arsenal aim to end on a high as Burnley face the fortressArsenal step into their final home fixture of the season with history firmly on their side. Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport, kick-off at 9pm CAT.
Read more »
Arsenal's hopes of Premier League triumph reignited after Burnley victoryArsenal's triumph over Burnley 1-0 has seemingly ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title. Even with Manchester City's recent unbeaten streak and a potential title decider against Aston Villa, Arsenal have secured a narrow five-point lead. However, the championship is not yet safe, with City still in contention, and the manager of the former, Pep Guardiola, rumored to be leaving.
Read more »
Arsenal on the brink of Premier League title after nervy Burnley win'We have to wait and see what is going to happen tomorrow and then it's time to prepare for the Palace game,' said Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta.
Read more »