Arsenal Vs Bournemouth: 3 improvements Mikel Arteta has made

2. A clean-slate policy

When he came to Arsenal, Mikel Arteta declared that each player would receive a clean slate, each given an opportunity to rekindle their fortunes at the club. And he’s steadfastly stuck to that policy.

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Against Bournemouth, for instance, he handed Shkodran Mustafi a start despite the German’s terrible error against Chelsea the week before. The enigmatic centre-back performed quite well before a nasty ankle injury sidelined him during the second half. He was positive on the ball, played a number of strong diagonal passes and was solid defensively too. Solid and consistent is not how Mustafi would typically be described, but against Bournemouth, he encapsulated much of the promise he’s always had, despite his general lack of success.

The same goes for Dani Ceballos. Arteta had this to say as the Spaniard made his return to the team following a lengthy hamstring injury:

"“He needs to get back to fitness and fight for his place like any other teammate. And after that we will make the selection that I think is fair with what I see on the pitch.”"

Ceballos came on as a substitute against Bournemouth, and to his credit, looked the sharpest he has for quite a while. His passing was on point, he looked smooth on the ball, and while he was not as dynamic as he was against Burnley early in the season, he was solid and consistent. He worked through the transfer rumours and potential discontent and Arteta rewarded him with a performance. And his faith was not misplaced; the 23-year-old now looks primed for more appearances, potentially even from the start.

Arteta’s policies with the players are simultaneously fair, generous, and reasonable. He has given every individual the chance to prove themselves.