Arsene Wenger has made his thoughts clear on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Arsene Wenger’s longstanding support for Mikel Arteta has been vindicated after Arsenal ended their Premier League title drought.
Wenger, who masterminded the Invincibles season of 2003/04, is one of football’s visionaries. He identified Arteta as a potential Arsenal manager in 2018 when he called time on his illustrious reign.
At the time, the Spaniard, who played under Wenger for the Gunners, was in the formative stages of his coaching journey as one of Pep Guardiola’s senior assistants at Manchester City. Wenger had already seen enough, telling BeIN Sports he had “all the qualities” needed to become a successful Gunners manager.
He said: “He was a leader, has good passion for the game, knows the club and knows what is important at the club.
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“Overall, he has the qualities but I don’t want to influence that publicly. I believe it is important they make their choice in an objective way and after made that decision I will support him.”
The Gunners opted instead for Unai Emery, who departed after 18 months at the helm following a run of seven matches without victory. It’s reasonable to suggest that Arteta inherited a mess when he took over in December 2019.
The Gunners concluded that pandemic-affected campaign in a disappointing eighth position, positioned between Wolves and Sheffield United. A further eighth-place finish arrived during the following behind-closed-doors season before a fifth place.
However, the early signs of revival had emerged, and Arteta was afforded the opportunity to nurture his vision. In 2022, Wenger was questioned about whether Arteta had restored Arsenal’s identity.
He said: “It looks like it, yes, I think so, yes. We still have some way to go because we were dominating in England for some time. All the ingredients are there, the club has invested a lot of money for the first time since we have built the stadium.
“The team is stable now with their results, his leadership looks to be accepted by the players and there is a connection between him and the team. So overall, what you see from outside is positive.”
Those observations proved accurate, as the Gunners have finally reclaimed their status as English football’s premier force after three consecutive runner-up finishes. Wenger has already offered his congratulations with a gracious statement via the club’s social media channels.
He said: “You did it. Champions go on, when others stop. This is your time. Now, go on and enjoy every moment.”
