Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has empathised with Chelsea boss Graham Potter and offered his thoughts on what the 47-year-old is going through at present. The Gunners find themselves top of the Premier League and enjoying the benefits after the ownership showed faith in keeping Arteta on as manager at the end of last season.
It hasn't always been a happy atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium under Arteta's reign. At the end of last season, the Gunners missed out on a top four spot at the expense of their north London rivals Tottenham on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign.
Many were calling for the Spaniard to be sacked but the board stood by him and trusted in his long-term vision he was trying to implement at the club. Chelsea have changed ownership in the last year with Todd Boehly sacking Thomas Tuchel and replacing him with Potter six months ago.
READ MORE: Chelsea could face unthinkable Premier League reality if Graham Potter is unable to halt slide
Results and performances have not gone the Blues' way this season and they currently find themselves in 10th place, having one of their worst Premier League seasons in the club's history. Boehly has entrusted Potter with delivering in his long-term vision which has been accelerated by the spending of £600million on new signings.
Pressure is building at Stamford Bridge with fans booing their team off the pitch following the 1-0 defeat against Southampton, which was followed up by a disappointing 2-0 loss against Spurs at the weekend. Thiago Silva's knee injury has compiled the miserable atmosphere surrounding the west London outfit and Potter is facing an uphill battle to save his job.
The Chelsea manager used Arteta and Jurgen Klopp as examples as to why clubs should give managers more time, even if results are not going right. “There is always that question, absolutely, and you can’t stop the questions," Potter said.
"While results are what they are, I accept it, it’s part of the job. We were talking before the game about watching the Arsenal All or Nothing and two years into Mikel [Arteta's] reign he is close to getting the sack and people want him out.
"It was seen as a disaster - but things have now changed a bit. If you look at Jurgen [Klopp’s] situation, they haven’t got the results and all of a sudden people want him out.
"That is the nature of football. I haven’t done enough at this club to have too much good faith; I also accept that."
When asked about his reaction to Potter using the Gunners boss as a prime example of reaping rewards from giving a manager time and whether he empathises with the Chelsea head coach, Arteta responded: "Absolutely.
"We are colleagues and we all know the pressure, the demands and the uncertainty this industry has and as well because the fact the ball has to go into that net and there are sometimes many factors that prevent that which you cannot control. So of course you empathise because you suffer, because you know how it is going through those moments."
Potter revealed last week that his family had been sent death threats following the Blues' poor run of results under his management. When asked whether Arteta had suffered a similar situation to that, he replied: "I’d prefer not to talk about it."
football.london understands that Boehly and Behdad Eghbali - for now - remain in support of Potter staying on as manager but there is no doubt that the pressure will intensify unless results improve before the March international break.
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