Mikel Arteta has now spent two years as Arsenal manager, after taking the reins of Unai Emery, who left the club in a precarious position.
Arteta was given an uphill task of altering the mentality and the performances of the side, and when you take into consideration that this is the Spaniard’s first-ever managerial role, it certainly takes it into perspective how difficult the challenge would be.
However, the Arsenal boss has dealt with these challenges in a solid manner, which was proved by his FA Cup trophy success before he reached his first year anniversary in the role.
There have been many excellent outcomes for the boss, and The Arsenal Way looks at five moments, that has led to his success so far.
FA Cup Win
Despite finishing in the eighth position during the 2019/2020 season, the Gunners had a successful end to the campaign in the domestic competitions.
It was the same season that Mikel Arteta took over as manager, so implementing his ideas only started to come into fruition towards the backend of that campaign.
And it was seen in the last rounds of the FA Cup, as the Gunners dismantled both Chelsea, and Manchester City despite being clear underdogs for both matches.
It was the first trophy for Arteta as Arsenal manager and hopefully, it will not be the last.
Bukayo Saka transformation
Saka has been a revelation for Arsenal since his promotion from the famous Hale End academy in 2019, however, he broke into Unai Emery’s side and was primarily used as a full-back and he wasn’t able to fully showcase his abilities.
This was also the case early into Arteta’s rein, however he would shortly after be placed in the wing position, which would transform his Arsenal career.
Before turning 20-years-old, the winger had made 92 appearances for Arsenal putting him in the top five for matches played as a teenager for the club.
His impressive displays further up the pitch under Arteta also helped him be nominated for the 2021 Kopa trophy which has been previously won by the likes of French star Kylian Mbappe .
The Englishmen is the player that has been used the most by Arteta, and his excellent performances is clear to see why.
Handling of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Mikel Arteta’s decision to strip Aubameyang from the Arsenal captaincy was certainly a bold choice, but in the end it was certainly the correct decision.
The 32-year-old was a fan favourite and popular in the dressing room so making the decision would not have been easy, but his constant disciplinary breaches made it necessary to take action, which the Spaniard did.
This may not have been carried out by managers in the past, as player power had been a problem within the club.
However, the team have been benefitting from Aubameyang’s exclusion, having won their last three Premier League matches.
2021/2022 Summer transfer window
Arsenal saw a transformation at the start of this season, as Mikel Arteta added six new players to the squad in the summer transfer window, which totalled to around £149m being spent.
Despite all the new signings being at the age of 23 or under, they have been magnificent and have created a new identity at the club.
Three of the defensive five have changed with the inclusion of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who have added a defensive solidarity which the club have been lacking over the past few years.
Arsenal have a bright future, and it due to Arteta’s trust in the signatures of the young players, who have been the main reason why the Gunners currently sit in the top four positions.
His handling of COVID-19
The first national lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 hit the country hard, and in the footballing world, Arteta was announced as one of the first figures to test positive for the virus.
However, his mature manner after it had been announced set the tone for the others, which helped calm the nerves of the nation.
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