Every mission needs ambition. Mikel Arteta’s cautious approach to such an important game against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday felt like a betrayal of the travelling Arsenal fans’ hopes. It felt like a game of chess when Arsenal’s manager moved only pawns and rarely committed to advance freely across the board. Arteta’s side managed a solitary shot on target. It all felt a wasted opportunity, and a sizeable setback to Arsenal’s title chances. No risk, no reward, no points, only regrets.
When Martin Ødegaard came on after 69 minutes, he passed Declan Rice a quick-release energy gel. Arsenal’s midfield were flagging, even the usually tireless Rice. Liverpool were gradually taking control, their more positive mindset paying off and building towards a narrow, but seismic victory over their main rivals for the Premier League. Arsenal needed more than an isotonic for the troops. They needed an adrenaline shot to a mindset shaped by Arteta’s restraint. Arsenal have finally bought a target-man, Viktor Gyökeres, and failed to provide him any real service at Anfield.
Not even the most flavoursome of athletes’ gels could sweeten the sour taste of Arteta’s approach. He started three defensive midfielders, including Mikel Merino, a good player but limited creatively. He packed his backline with centre-halves and started Gabriel Martinelli, a skilful but shot-shy winger mainly appreciated for contributing defensively.
Arteta’s meek methods ran against the enterprising examples of other Premier League managers like Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola and Eddie Howe who all detected an early-season vulnerability in Liverpool and went for the jugular. Glasner’s Palace beat Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield. Iraola’s Bournemouth rattled Liverpool who needed late goals to prevail. Howe’s Newcastle lost an epic match 3–2 but certainly made a game of it, playing a man down but with their hopes up. They were brave. Arteta wasn’t.
Eberechi Eze Should Have Started
Arsenal’s manager should have released the handbrake and sought to steamroll a defence that had conceded six goals in those three games. The match was crying out for the exciting new signing, Eberechi Eze, to start ahead of Martinelli on the left. Arteta argued that Eze was still familiarising himself with his new teammates, but it would have set a more positive tone had Eze unleashed his dribbling prowess and innate positivity on Liverpool from the opening whistle. He finally arrived with Ødegaard with 20 minutes remaining, and Liverpool turning the tide their way.
Arteta’s handling of the game angered many fans. In mitigation, Arteta actually has a good record against elite opponents. This was Arsenal’s first loss to Liverpool in three-and-a-half years. He was missing his best, most fearless player in Bukayo Saka, lost his most mobile centre back, William Saliba after five minutes and was playing at a fortress where Liverpool have suffered only three league defeats in the previous four seasons as the champions have been strengthened by £290 million ($334.6 million) worth of new talent. The one positive memory Arteta could return south with was a purposeful performance from Noni Madueke, the swift, direct right-winger recruited from Chelsea for £48.5 million.
Has Arteta Taken His Team As Far As He Can?
The Spaniard has improved his squad season on season during his six years in charge but has he developed his own mindset enough? Has he taken Arsenal as far as he can? One of the main Arsenal fans’ forums, and one of the more balanced ones, carried a poll roughly split 50-50 of whether he should stay or go. The board backs him, but there will be painful conversations to be had if he doesn’t deliver a trophy this season. Even the derided Ange Postecoglou won a trophy in north London.
The majority of Arsenal’s match-going support remain supportive of the man they dub “Super Mik Arteta.” He’s a former captain and, as manager, represented a confident new dawn after the drift of the latter Arsène Wenger years and the unconvincing short stay of Unai Emery.
Shortly after Arteta moved from Manchester City to become Arsenal’s manager, I asked Raheem Sterling to outline the strengths of a coach who’d trained him for three years at City. Sterling explained how Arteta improved him by getting him to alter his body position to collect fast, incoming balls without slowing. Sterling would occasionally take an extra touch, even roll his foot over the ball, “chewing” it, to use his word. Arteta worked with Sterling to make his reception of possession and passage upfield far more fast and fluid. Arteta’s one-on-one coaching skills have never been in doubt.
So before significant sections of the fan base began calling for regime change, it needs re-emphasising that Arteta is a good manager. He should certainly be given this season to show his capabilities. If Anfield was a blot on his managerial résumé, there is still plenty to admire.
His man-management skills are of the level required at an elite club with disparate characters. Fluent in French, Italian and Portuguese, as well as English and Spanish, Arteta can deliver instructions swiftly to a multi-national group. The 15 players Arsenal used at Anfield were drawn from eight different countries.
Arteta’s Unorthodox Methods
Arteta’s quite quirky. He asked the club photographer, Stuart MacFarlane, a diehard Arsenal fan, to give an emotional team-talk before a game with their biggest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, in 2021. It worked. Arsenal won 3–1. If I ever see Stuart before the north London derby, I invariably ask whether he has given the team-talk. Arteta loves motivational touches like bringing a Labrador dog called Win to the training ground. The players and staff love her. Win gives Colney a family feel.
Arteta sometimes lacks self-awareness, and his comments at Anfield ignored that Liverpool were the better side. He winds up opposing supporters by outlandish claims like Arsenal were the best team in Europe last season, despite being knocked out in the semifinals.
The 43-year-old strays into management speak at times. “[Thomas] Edison invented the light bulb,” Arteta told his players before a game against Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022. He was holding a lightbulb. “Today, I want to see a team that is connected because a bulb by itself is nothing. Go out there, f---ing turn the light on and play football. Let's go!” Arsenal lost 2–1.
He even booked professional pickpockets to shake the players down at a team dinner. The idea was to encourage constant alertness. Such ideas are hailed as revolutionary if a team win, and derided as gimmicks if they lose. Same with tactics—and Arteta got his wrong. Fortune favours only the brave.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Mikel Arteta’s Anfield Approach Saw Liverpool Triumph.
