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Can Mikel Arteta Turn Things Around at Arsenal?

By mac14 on December 30, 2020

Following a rollercoaster 2020, attention now turns as to how Arsenal will fare in 2021.

COVID 19 has had a catastrophic impact on the footballing picture in the UK and Arsenal ‘s recent demise in the Premier League has put their FA Cup triumph in August a seemingly distant memory.

Sat only a handful of above the relegation zone currently, the Gunners appear to have a mountain to climb in order to be vying for a top 4 finish come the end of the campaign.

Despite only being in charge for just over a year, Mikel Arteta’s status as manager is under constant speculation and results need to improve quickly if he is to keep his job for a sustained period.

Significant investment came into Arsenal during the summer, with the likes of Gabriel and Thomas Partey joining for hefty sums of money and confidence needs to grow within the relatively inexperienced camp.

Consequently, questions are beginning to be asked as to whether Mikel Arteta is the right man for the job at Arsenal.

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Former Captain

Having been in charge at Arsenal for 12 months and at the age of just 38, Arteta is one of the youngest managers in the Premier League. His affiliation with Arsenal as a player sees him held in the very highest esteem at the Emirates and the former captain is still revered for his performances on the pitch.

After retiring from playing duties, he went on to assist Pep Guardiola at Manchester City as the blues went on to conquer English football in emphatic fashion. His influence at the Etihad didn’t go unnoticed and Arsenal broke the bank to lure him from City once they parted terms with Unai Emery in December 2019 and he is still loved by the Arsenal faithful.

Big Spenders

Despite often having significant finances at their disposal, one of the key criticisms of Arsenal towards the end of the Arsene Wenger era was their inability to spend money.

Over £200 million has been spent by the Gunners in the last two seasons, with the likes of Nicolas Pepe, Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney all joining the club for hefty transfer fees. Whilst Arteta is seemingly still getting to grips with some of this personnel, he will be looking to get the big money signings ticking sooner rather than later.

Big Egos

Amongst plenty of young and emerging talent at the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta has had to cope with plenty of big name egos at the club and it is proving to be a delicate balancing act. Mesut Ozil has long been the cause of much speculation at the club and with Arteta opting to keep him out of the first team picture, he has seemingly created a divide within the camp.

Getting the best out of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has also been central to Arsenal’s successes in recent times and whilst Arteta managed it in his first 6 months, he has struggled for form ever since.

David Luiz, Willian, and Alexandre Lacazette have also found playing time hard to come by in recent weeks and Arteta will be eager to keep his big name players happy as they look to climb the league quickly.