Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hailed the impact Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has had on his career ahead of their meeting on Saturday.
The Gunners travel to Stamford Bridge looking to keep their unbeaten start to the new league campaign going, though could be without Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard.
Arteta and Pochettino were team-mates at Paris St-Germain during the 2000/01 season and Arteta praised the current Chelsea head coach for his advice when the Spaniard first got into coaching.
“Don’t go into coaching, it’s too hard! That was the first thing (he said),” Arteta joked.
“I knew he was going to be a coach. I followed him very closely obviously because as a player he was already a leader, they way he understood the game, it was phenomenal.
“I used to have him constantly coaching me and I’m very proud of what he’s done and especially the way he’s done it through his coaching career.
“My first professional opportunity was in Paris and we arrived at the same time, and we lived together in the same hotel for three months.
“He was critical. He’s been one of the most influential people in my football career, first of all as a player. He took me under his wing and he looked after me like a little brother.
“A big part of the success that I had in Paris was because of him because he really looked after me and gave me a lot of confidence and advice.
“He’s been a role model for me since that day, not only when I was a player but as a manager as well. I had to make the decision to leave playing and start my coaching career and he had a big say on that.
“I will be always grateful for what he has done for me.”
Pochettino endured a difficult start to life at Chelsea but has overseen an upturn in form recently, having won three games on the bounce in all competitions.
“The manager and coaching staff that they have, the history at the club that they have, and the players and squad that they have, it’s going to happen,” Arteta said.
“I think it has happened very quickly. Not only the last three results, I think they deserve much more in terms of points and results that they already have.
“You can see that they’re going to be up there. You can see that something, already, has changed very quickly.”
