Arsenal: Mikel Arteta is making old things new

Arsenal have played excellently under Mikel Arteta’s first three games. At the heart of this is the Spaniard making old things new, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Lucas Torreira and David Luiz, three players who were previously misused and struggling, all starring.

When Arsenal hired Mikel Arteta as their new head coach, no one could have expected such an immediate and substantial improvement from the team as has been evident in the first three outings. While fitness and second-half form have been problematic, the underlying combinations and approach is much-improved and is now getting the best of the squad.

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But if you were to ask fans how Arteta might inspire such a remarkable turnaround so quickly, most would reply that he has dropped key players, turned the team over to the young players, and let them loose on the Premier League. And yet, that is precisely what has not happened.

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In fact, the players that have been crucial to the Gunners’ strong performances under Arteta thus far have been those previously mismanaged and dismissed under Unai Emery, Freddie Ljungberg and even Arsene Wenger.

Granit Xhaka is now essential to the central midfield, Mesut Ozil is working hard, shockingly, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are being provided with the type of support that they deserve.

Three players, in particular, have been excellent under Arteta after being disregarded under Emery: David Luiz as the anchoring the centre-back, amazingly named the Man of the Match against Manchester United on Wednesday night by the notoriously miserly Martin Keown; Lucas Torreira, who is now playing in his natural, defensive midfield position that Emery was unwilling to use him in; and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who suddenly looks like he has played right-back all his life, finally fulfilling his athletic and technical potential.

And even at this early stage, the players are not afraid to herald the coaching impact of Arteta. In fact, just read what Luiz said about his new manager in his post-match interview from the United win:

"“To fight we are ready. Not with all the guns but to fight we are ready. I think I said it last week that Mikel is a great coach. He knows football. He was a great player. He brings things where I believe in his philosophy and I think he can improve every single player. And in life when you are happy the results can be totally different. I think I always like to use the metaphor that if you sleep happy you can sleep for hours, but if you sleep sad, just for eight hours. So if you work with happiness and you work with believing in what you are doing it is totally different.”"

For all of the tactics, philosophy, coaching and Pep-inspired input that Arteta was meant to and has brought to Arsenal, it is something simple that is turning this team around: he is making old things new. Luiz’s strengths are being accentuated, Torreira is finally comfortable, Maitland-Niles is focused and intentional.

Arteta is getting the best out of his players. It is a very simple point to make, but an extremely significant one. This was always a talented squad, it just needed direction and inspiration. Arteta is providing it, and this is the result.