Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will soon blow out the candles to mark his 40 th birthday – but in just a few months, he could be lighting the match for the Gunners' first Champions League campaign since 2016.
The north Londoners entered the international break in the Champions League places, where they have managed to amass a three-point gap over nearest rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Victory in their game in hand would see the north Londoners extend this deficit over Antonio Conte’s side to a possibly insurmountable six points.
It is an incredible position for the former Manchester City assistant to be in, considering he was tipped for the sack when the Gunners were rock bottom of the Premier League in August. But the Spaniard’s exceptional development of this young Arsenal side only appears to be the beginning.
Arteta made the audacious move from Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man to the manager of one of the most prestigious clubs in English football just before Christmas in 2019. He inherited an Arsenal that were disjointed, confused about the methods of his predecessor Unai Emery, and, most crucially, were languishing in 11 th position in the Premier League.
While the Gunners finished in eighth position, his FA Cup triumph over fierce rivals Chelsea saw the north Londoners qualify for the Europa League the following season. Despite his lack of experience, Arteta immediately developed a ruthless edge, which began with a swift dispatch of Mesut Ozil.
David Luiz and young player Matteo Guendouzi, whose poor attitude saw him risk the wrath of Arteta, soon followed Ozil out of the door. While his first full campaign at the Gunners ended without the north Londoners qualifying for any European football for the first time in 25 years, he followed it up with a spectacular £154million transfer window which saw Nuno Tavares, Ben White, Martin Odegaard, Aaron Ramsdale, Albert Sambi-Lokonga and Takehiro Tomiyasu arrive at the club.
Could Mikel Arteta one day lead Arsenal to a Premier League title? Let us know in the comments
But the most significant transfer news at the club was the exit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona, after Arteta deemed the former captain’s attitude and discipline to be unpalatable. As a former Arsenal captain himself, Arteta was not ready to tolerate any ill-disciplined individuals in his squad and Aubameyang was shown the door in the recent January transfer window.
Arteta leads his Arsenal side with the same values and professionalism he had when he wore the armband. He was signed from Everton by Arsene Wenger in the 2011 summer transfer deadline day for around £10m.
While many decried his arrival as being one of panic, he immediately breezed into the Arsenal midfield, becoming a leading figure in the process. Ironically, Per Mertesacker, another Arsenal player who was labelled a panic purchase after signing for the club on the same day, works very closely with Arteta as the manager of the Arsenal academy side.
Arteta was given the captain’s armband at the start of the 2014-15 season and went on to lift the Community Shield after an impressive 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield. While a variety of injuries restricted him to only 11 appearances for the whole season, he still went on to lift his second consecutive FA Cup at the end of the season.
Fittingly, that FA Cup triumph proved to be the last major honour he lifted as a player. Five seasons later, he was lifting the famous old trophy again in what was his first major title as a manager.
He continues to preside over a young and dynamic Arsenal side which seems to be harmonising and improving with every single passing match, While the terrifying competition and financial might of his rivals could mean a title challenge will remain beyond the north Londoners for some time, the Gunners are certainly gunning in the right direction.
