Two iconic Premier League midfielders are set to clash on Saturday lunchtime when Mikel Arteta takes his Arsenal side to face Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa.
It will be the first meeting between the two managers since Gerrard was appointed as Dean Smith's successor at Villa Park. The Liverpool legend had earned his coaching stripes at Rangers, with their stunning transformation into title contenders impressing many.
Arteta has similarly received plaudits for Arsenal's recovery from an awful opening to the current season to now looking to be the favourites to finish in the top four. While the duo are now rivals in the dugouts as well as having clashed in their playing days, their relationship is surprisingly good.
In fact, Arteta even paid tribute to Gerrard for the job he did at Rangers, who the Spaniard used to play for. The Arsenal boss was left delighted by his now-rival's work at Ibrox, with Gerrard having totally transformed their fortunes.
The legendary Liverpool captain took charge of the Scottish giants in the summer of 2018 and guided them to their first Old Firm win over Celtic for six years in his first campaign in charge. Gerrard gradually built his side up into bonafide title contenders after period in which the Gers had found it difficult to compete with their fierce rivals.
His crowning achievement across his three-year spell in the Ibrox hotseat came in his last full season at the club. Rangers went unbeaten in the league in the 2020/2021 campaign to win the Scottish Premiership as Invincibles.
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That achievement certainly caught the eye of Arteta, who won the Scottish title with Rangers himself during a two-year spell at the club. And when Gerrard was appointed as Villa boss, the Spaniard made his admiration of the Englishman clear.
"Well it obviously was a surprise. First of all as a Rangers fan I must say thank you so much to Stevie and the coaching staff for what they did for the club. They turned the club around in such a difficult moment and to manage to win the league in the way they did it was a big boost," he said in November.
The two rivals have earned plenty of plaudits for their side's performances this season. Gerrard has made a solid start to life as a Premier League manager, winning eight, drawing two and losing eight of his first 18 matches in charge.
Arteta has also been pushing to be in the running for the manager of the year award, having dragged Arsenal back up the table following a winless start to the season. The Gunners now look well-placed to claim the final Champions League qualification spot, with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher hailing Arteta for his contribution to that turnaround.
"I’m a big fan of Mikel Arteta. I think at times he has been questioned, and at times he has had to win because his job has been on the line. And you always come across that because managers win games and lose games, and sometimes when dealing under pressure is a sign that a manager is doing well," Carragher told Sky Sports.
