Legendary Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has told FourFourTwo that he believes both Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta are influenced by former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.
Dein was integral in bringing Wenger to Highbury in 1996, revolutionising English football as a whole when the Frenchman implemented possession football in north London. Over the years, this style of play has evolved with Pep Guardiola the main proponent of passing football in the modern-day Premier League.
Incumbent Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was brought to the club in 2011 – four years after Dein left the club – but now, the former Gunners chief has exclusively explained to FFT the similarities he sees between the iconic Wenger and the two close friends currently fighting it out at for honours.
“Arsene is a football purist,” smiles Dein. “He’s a fan of the expression ‘Possession with progression’. He loves the passing game and with the Invincibles, you’d have 20-30 passes before the opposition get the ball.
“You had such craftsmen, such skilful players: to assemble that team and for them to have the right mentality, it was a superb achievement. In a way, I believe that Pep Guardiola plays in a similar way to Arsene – and I think Mikel has inherited it as well.”
Years ago, Wenger claimed that Guardiola was interested in joining Arsenal – and now, Dein says that the Catalan's “imitation” of a version of Wenger's play is good for football.
“I think a lot of managers have tried to imitate his style of football – and imitation is the greatest form of flattery,” says Dein.
“It’s good for the game: it’s a pretty style, seeing how many passes a side completes. When you see the Invincibles, it’s a pretty tapestry to watch.”
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