Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Leeds United: 5 things we learned – Mikel Arteta turns tide

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 06: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal (L) applauds the fans following his side's victory during the FA Cup Third Round match between Arsenal FC and Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on January 06, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 06: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal (L) applauds the fans following his side's victory during the FA Cup Third Round match between Arsenal FC and Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on January 06, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 06: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal reacts during the FA Cup Third Round match between Arsenal FC and Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on January 06, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 06: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal reacts during the FA Cup Third Round match between Arsenal FC and Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on January 06, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

1. Arteta the ruthless

When Alexandre Lacazette was asked what Mikel Arteta said to the Arsenal players at half-time to coax out such a turnaround in performance in the second half, he simply said, ‘He [Arteta] shouted a lot.’

Now, I am sure that Arteta did a lot more than shout. He will have offered much more than hollering and hooting for the sake of it. But as was quite clear in his post-match interview, Arteta was incensed with the performance from his players in the first half, and he would not have hesitated to give his players a piece of his mind.

As has been made abundantly clear in his first few weeks in charge, Arteta has high standards, especially when it comes to the non-negotiable demands of work-rate, commitment and attitude. And if the players do not meet these standard, there will be no mercy. Arteta is ruthless.

Next. Arsenal Vs Leeds United: Player ratings. dark

As he said when asked what he learned from his former boss, Arteta is going to be a ruthless manager. And Arsenal will be the better for it, as proven by their second-half improvements here.