Mikel Arteta has certainly had a rollercoaster of performances since joining Arsenal and that has been epitomized this season.
The Gunners started terribly and found themselves at the bottom of the league, but after a good run of results, the club are now two points away from second place.
In general, The Spaniard has had an impressive second year as manager when it boils down to the stats, as the north London club have been one of the best teams in the league.
Despite the criticism Arteta has faced this year, surprisingly he has won more matches than Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the Premier League.
Arsenal have won 18 matches in the Premier League during this calendar year, whilst Liverpool won 17, which is bizarre when you factor in the eighth-place finish by Arsenal last season.
The current unbeaten run Arsenal find themselves in is a huge testament to that, as Arteta’s side have not lost a game in the league since before the September international break.
The Spaniard has created a robust defence that makes the team hard to beat, and that has also played a major in part in the multiple 1-0 victories so far this season.
And in recent weeks the attacking phase of the play for the Gunners has improved a lot since the change in formations.
The 4-4-2 system has allowed Arteta to play two strikers and the impact of Alexandre Lacazette has proved pivotal.
The new formation has also unlocked Emile Smith Rowe’s potential on the left-hand side, and his goal contributions have been crucial to Arsenal’s victories over the last few matchdays.
The transformation early into this season is why the north London side sit on 61 points so far this year, which is higher than Liverpool who sit on 58 points.
There are still games to play this year but if Arsenal maintains this statistic of being ahead of Liverpool until the end of December, then the club will still be in the race to qualify for the Champions League, which was unthinkable at the start of the season.
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