Arsenal Vs Manchester United: 5 things we learned – Mikel Arteta is a genius

2. Mikel Arteta knows what he is doing

When Arsenal appointed Mikel Arteta as their new head coach, there was a sense of excitement, gentle anticipation and hope, and curiosity. But there were very few expectations. How could anyone develop any expectations from someone who has never managed a team before?

And so, if the early part of his tenure was always going to be critical. Could he make a good impression with the players to win them over? Would the crowd respond to re-energised performances that clearly show progress and improvement? Could Arteta quieten the doubts about his lack of experience that would inevitably grow if he endured a poor start? Well, two weeks and three matches in his tenure, I think it is fair to say he has answered many of these questions.

David Luiz has waxed lyrical about his coaching, Mesut Ozil is happy again, individual players are improving, and Arsenal produced their three best displays of the season in Arteta’s first three games, this being the best of the lot. Arteta, then, knows what he is doing. Whether that leads to sustained success or not remains to be seen, but the initial signs are very positive indeed. Arteta is at the wheel.