Mikel Arteta took charge of his first game as Arsenal boss on Boxing Day 2019, a 1-1 away draw against Bournemouth. Just two players from his starting XI remain at the club: Reiss Nelson and Bukayo Saka.
In his four years in charge he has taken Arsenal to new levels, winning the FA Cup, competing for the Premier League title and qualifying for the Champions League knockouts.
Here are five things Mikel Arteta has revolutionised at Arsenal
A winning mentality
Arsenal were at a low ebb when Unai Emery was relieved of his duties. The fans were unhappy, and squad harmony was low. Arteta came in and breathed new life into the club. It was a fresh start and a sense that there was a project to work on. Despite a late loss at the Emirates against Chelsea, Arteta only lost one game in his first 12 matches in charge, his first win coming at home against Manchester United. That winning mentality was implemented almost straight away, with Arteta leading Arsenal all the way to FA Cup glory, beating Manchester City and Chelsea to lift the trophy. They would subsequently win the Community Shield in August 2020. Arteta was demonstrating from an early stage that he had the skills and mentality to win.
Throughout his four years, he has had moments of disappointment, but overall he has got Arsenal back on the map as a team who are competitive, and have the minerals to push teams all the way. No trophy since 2020, but as Arteta has always said: “trust the process” the rewards for the patience of the Arsenal fans could be enormous.
The right fit for The Arsenal
Arteta inherited a squad of players with inflated egos, and a desire to pick up a pay cheque, rather than work hard on the pitch. Making wholesale changes from the word go would have been erratic, but over time Arteta has moulded his team, and his squad into one that fits into the culture he is trying to create. Without naming names, there were some bad eggs, or to put it better – players who were not buying into the project 100%. Arteta over time has worked with the board to integrate the right characters, and let go of the players who were still lingering from the late days of Arsene Wenger, and the Unai Emery tenure.
Arteta wants his own identity, his own Arsenal. Players have been brought in and have been sold the promise of an exciting brand of football, and the backing of a manager who is taking on the very best in the Premier League. Four years is a long time in football and a lot has changed, and for the good!
Relationship with the fans
Arsenal fans were unhappy with what they were seeing during the last few years of Wenger, and for a portion of Emery’s reign. It was important for Arteta to get the fans back onside. Arsenal were dangerously turning into a meme, a club people would laugh at and indulge in fan reaction content with popcorn on laps.
Fans finally had the chance to witness a first full season under Arteta in the flesh, it was a difficult start. Defeats to Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City saw Arsenal bottom of the Premier League, a punishing start to the 21/22 season. But ten games unbeaten in all competitions, including a 3-1 win over rivals Tottenham changed the mood around the club.
“We’ve got super Mik Arteta” was and still is the song that booms around the Emirates when the good mood is at it’s peak. The fans knew that the prospect of the return of Champions League football was very much the new goal, and on the cards in 21/22. The Angel (North London Forever) sung by Arsenal fan and artist Louis Dunford was selected as the new club anthem, played before every home match. This gave a sense of “new era atmosphere”, that something special was being developed in north London. The fans are the club were one, they were united and in unison, and this has carried on ever since. It did not quite go to plan that season, but the following season everything changed.
The new Arsenal
In 2003/04 Arsenal famously won the Premier League without losing a single match. They went on to achieve a sensational 49 games unbeaten. It has never been that good since. Arsenal have flirted with winning the Premier League title again under Wenger, but last season Arteta and Arsenal were embroiled in a captivating title race that had Pep Guardiola and Manchester City sweating.
Ultimately they lost out, but from setting the pace early on, it was almost a given that Arsenal would return to the Champions League, a competition they have been absent for since 2016/17. The title face, and consequently the inability to see it through was not seen as a failure. It was seen as progress. Arteta has never really been seen to make baby steps, rather huge leaps, albeit some backwards. But predominately the project and process remains on track. Arsenal are not the finished article, but they are a force. They are seen as one of the big dogs again, and have come a long way in a short space of time.
Calamity to contenders
At this current stage, Arsenal lead the way in the Premier League. Not by a huge margin but once again they are in control of their own destiny. Not only that, they waltzed their way into the Champions League last 16, with a date with FC Porto a week after Valentines Day. Arsenal, Arteta and the board have been smart. Smart with their business – Gabriel Jesus, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli are just a few examples of the kind of signings that have been made, which have revolutionised the fortunes of the club.
To add to that, Arsenal have worked hard to produce academy stars, the headline being Saka, with Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith-Rowe and Nelson all making huge progress. Competition for places in the team is always healthy, epitomised by Aaron Ramsdale and David Raya’s tug of war for the number one jersey. It feels fresh, it feels like a club doing the right things. The outcome of this season will have huge affects for Arteta, who has taken some blows throughout his tenure. But he has learnt some key lessons, and in doing that could overcome hurdles from previous seasons.
Will the Premier League trophy be decorated in colours of red and white in May? And not those being lifted high by Virgil van Dijk and Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool. Arteta is a young, hungry and passionate coach, with the eye on the prize and the squad who are willing to do anything for him, to have the much craved success that may come in the merry month of May.
