Steven Gerrard believes decision-makers at Arsenal deserve credit for sticking with Mikel Arteta.
Under the Spaniard’s stewardship, Arsenal are currently in the driving seat in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
While losses to the leading sides in the Premier League are undoubtedly disappointing, Arteta is overseeing a young team and appears to have stamped his authority on a club to have drifted even before the retirement of Arsene Wenger.
Few, however, would doubt the fact that there have been rough patches along the way. Having lost their first three games of the season, the pressure was piled on the 39-year-old, but his calls to “trust the process” have been heeded by those above him.
Speaking ahead of their trip to Aston Villa on Saturday, Gerrard moved to praise all of the work done at the club as Arsenal dream of a return to Europe’s elite competition.
“Mikel has done a fantastic job and really found that consistency that Arsenal have been looking for so credit to him for that," he said.
"He’s come through a couple of periods where the pressure was on him and his team and you’ve got to give people at Arsenal credit for backing him and giving him the time to really stamp his authority and philosophy on how they want to play."
