It truly is amazing what an elite level coach can achieve with time, a smart project and efficient transfers - just ask Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. Scrutiny and sack calls were launched at the 41-year-old during numerous poor runs of form in the early stages of his managerial tenure, but the patience shown to keep him in situ is certainly now paying off.
The Gunners find themselves locked in a tense Premier League title battle with serial winners Manchester City, headed up by Pep Guardiola, Arteta's former employer. Prior to his arrival at Emirates Stadium, Arteta was Guardiola's assistant for a number of years before making the decision to enter the hot seat himself in December 2019.
Criticism has followed ever since, despite Arteta delivering an FA Cup and Community Shield, with Arsenal falling just short of some major goals. However, to a certain extent, that looks set to end with the Gunners taking a huge leap forward in their project progress this season.
