Mikel Arteta has revealed that he often asks himself: “What would Arsène Wenger do?” as he seeks to lead the London team to trophies this season.
Arsenal is preparing to face Tottenham on Sunday evening, topping the English Premier League by three points. Arteta aims to replicate the achievements of Wenger, who led the club to league titles.
Arteta mentioned last week that Wenger is one of four key mentors in his career, along with Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, and David Moyes.
Despite the other three mentors still being active in the football world and having been direct competitors during his career, Arteta admits that he still communicates with Wenger regarding his role at Arsenal, but he doesn’t always need to.
In a special interview with “Sky Sports” at Arsenal’s training ground, Arteta said: “He is there. He lives with me constantly at the moment. Without what he did for me, and what he instilled in me, and what he allowed me to experience inside this club, I wouldn’t be here.”
He added: “After that, it’s up to you and your personality to provide what you think is best.”
A Lasting Aura
Arteta described Wenger’s personality, saying: “Arsène has an aura and a personality that makes him always present. And when I start thinking and reflecting on certain things, I always go back to that time: How would he have acted? What aspects would he have analyzed before making a decision?”
He continued: “Then there is also what I learned from Pep. And what my father and mother taught me. We are all shaped by these experiences and these references in life. The same applies to my wife.”
Arteta spoke about his way of thinking, saying: “I like to be in your position as well. I like to deal with you in a way that makes you feel that if we exchanged chairs, I would treat you in the same way. When I think about a player, I ask myself: Let me sit in his chair and see how he thinks. And maybe I’ll get a better idea of the situation.”
Regarding who he turns to when he needs a leader, Arteta said: “The players first. If I am in a certain emotional state and I am missing something, I often turn to them, or to the coaching staff. Then comes my family, then comes the four mentors who represent a big part of my life. I wouldn’t be sitting here if they hadn’t crossed my path since I was a player. And I am grateful to them forever.”
He added: “They have all inspired me in their respective fields. And they are a part of me. And sometimes I don’t even need to contact them, because the best thing for me is the example they have given me—the standards and behaviors I learned from them in certain moments. Maybe that is the best thing to do.”
“Natural Evolution…”
It has been observed this season that Arteta appears more calm and composed, whether on the sidelines, in press conferences, or in dealing with the daily pressures of ending the club’s trophy drought.
Arteta commented on this, saying: “This is a natural evolution of a human being. A lot of things have happened in my life in the last two or three seasons, and they have directly affected who I am today.”
He continued: “The needs of the team, the understanding of what it takes, and the type of coach and leader that the team needs now, may differ from what it needed two or three seasons ago. That’s all there is to it. This can be measured when I am on the touchline, or in a press conference, or when I deal with daily problems within the football team. As a father as well, my children are at a different age now, and they need different things from me.”
He added: “I have been here for six years, and things are different. The people around me have changed, and they are sending me different messages now.”
Arteta wants to achieve something positive this season, after five years without titles, especially in terms of results.
However, one thing has not changed: Arteta’s record in the derby against Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium. The Spanish coach has never lost a home game against Spurs, whether as a player or as a coach, in ten matches.
In addition, Arteta faces a major challenge in how to reorganize his back line against Tottenham, given the absence of Brazilian center-back Gabriel Magalhães, who is one of the team’s most prominent stars this season.
Gabriel has stood out in the heart of the “Gunners” defense, with the team conceding only five goals in 11 matches, reflecting his vital role in the cohesion of the defensive system.
This news puts Arteta in front of forced choices, most notably fielding Ecuadorian Piero Hincapié or Spaniard Christian Mosquera to compensate for the absence of Gabriel, who formed an excellent duo with Frenchman William Saliba, and also contributed strongly to set pieces thanks to his physical build and smart positioning.
