More than five years after his presentation with the London painting, Arteta will meet 200 games in Premier as coach ‘Gunner’. He will do it at Old Trafford in front of a historic rival, Manchester United. More than ten years ago Ferguson and Wenger played their last duel from the benches. Things have changed a lot. The ‘Red Devils’ are immersed in a sports and institutional crisis. But the thing looks better in the Emirates and, in large part, the fault is of the Spanish coach.
A convulsive start
The first experience as the first Arteta coach seems unbeatable. He signed for Arsenal in December 2019, after being the second of Pep Guardiola for three years. He reached an English football historic who had not classified Champions for three years. He replaced another Spaniard, Unai Emery, taking the reins of a club that had made his worst campaign in almost 40 years (since 1982). Even with the shadow of a club legend like Wenger (22 years on the ‘Gunner’ bench), he began the reconstruction of the team.
Arteta applauding in victory against PSV in Champions
Total reconstruction
From that arsenal ‘Pre Arteta’ there are only two signings today: Martinelli and Saliba. The one in San Sebastián was clear that the project had to change everything, as confessed to Marca: “I came here with the illusion of transforming the team. I lived it from another bench when I faced the Arsenal. That day I noticed a downturn at the stage of stadium, energy, identity … I felt that everything had to be transformed and put the club in the first page again.”
Mikel Arteta greeting Pep Guardiola
A title in its first season
He traced the season and conquered the FA Cup that same year. The performance of the Northern London club has also increased in Premier. Although he was eighth in that campaign and the next, Arteta has placed his team as a clear candidate to conquer the Premier, being in second position in the last two seasons. “The rage, and the ambition is that, in these times, with what was not enough, it must be demanded more,” said the coach to brand.
Arteta raising the FA Cup trophy
He stroked the Premier
If it weren’t for the hegemony of Pep Guardiola and its Manchester City, Arsenal would have achieved the last two leagues. It was five points from the ‘Cityzens’ in 2023 and two in the previous campaign. Arteta spoke about how close the title: “What we did last year and two years ago was very valuable, but he also ate me inside because I want to always win.” Likewise, the Guipuzcoan knows what it is to win a title on the ‘Gunner’ bench.
Three trophies with the ‘gunners’
He won the FA Cup appointed previously in front of his neighbor, Chelsea, 2-1. A title that adds to two community shield, against Liverpool on penalties (2020) and before the City (also on penalties, in 2023). But, even so, the coach confessed to Marca that he had not done “or 20% of what he had prepared.”
Mikel Arteta giving instructions in the band
The data that places him in the ‘Olympus’ of the benches
Statistics also place Donostiarra among the best coaches in the history of the English competition. Mikel Arteta is the fifth coach with the most victories after 200 games in Premier League (since the maximum English competition was called in the 1992-93 season). It accumulates 118 victories (59.3% of triumphs) and exceeds the historical of the benches such as Benítez (114 victories), Wenger himself (110) and Ranieri (103).
Arteta in his player stage, next to Wenger
Surpassing Wenger
Pep Guardiola are only above him with a whopping 146 triumphs, José Mourinho (137), Jurgen Klopp (127) and Alex Ferguson (122). In this way, Arteta is the coach ‘Gunner’ with the best percentage of victories in all competitions. Accumulates 60.07% of matches won in 268 clashes, surpassing the historic Ursene Wenger (57.98% in 1,235 matches)
Arteta, Way to Glory
Time will tell if Arteta continues to make history in northern London. A true pioneer who has completely rebuilt an English football historical: “I am proud to be one of the first to come to England and have helped others to do it.” Except catastrophe (after beating the PSV with a 1-7 in the round of the round of 16), its arsenal will be the rival of Madrid or Atlético in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the only competition that remains to take a title this season.
Mikel Arteta in a match against West Ham
Champions opportunity
In the press conference before his duel at Old Trafford Arteta he has described how his stage has lived in northern London: “It has happened very fast, probably the best moment was my first day, fulfilling my dream of becoming a coach of this incredible club. If I have to highlight a title, it would be the FA cop, after everything we spent as a club in the previous years, and the period of covid, which was also really difficult. From San Sebastián, 200 games will be in Premier with a club that is already part of its history.