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.
