Arteta’s Arsenal revolution now in full swing

Mikel Arteta’s transformation of Arsenal from a team of easy beats, who were soft, spineless and unmotivated, into a tough, committed, likeable and well-rounded footballing side is blossoming before our eyes. After inheriting a mediocre squad either picking up their retirement funds or hanging onto past glories, the Spaniard had it all to do.

After Arsene Wenger moved on, Unai Emery was tasked with getting the Gunners back into the Premier League’s elite. He failed. If anything, the club was heading in the other direction. Arteta was then brought in from Manchester City after Freddie Ljungberg’s brief spell to try and salvage something from the rubble at the Emirates.

There were growing pains but also signs that Arteta’s way was of capable of securing results and ultimately success. Now over two years in the job, what the Spaniard has been working towards is finally starting to flourish, and it is seriously impressive – especially when considering he had so many detractors. The lack of European football has been a blessing in disguise for Arsenal and now we are seeing the fruits of Arteta’s labor.

The horrible start to the current campaign saw serious heat brought onto Arteta and his position at the club. Three defeats from the opening three games, zero goals scored and nine conceded left them rooted to the bottom of the table. The knives, pitchforks, torches…you name it. They were all out.

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Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal revolution now in full swing as Gunners aim for Premier League top four finish ahead of Spurs and Manchester United

However, there were mitigating circumstances such as players missing through COVID and injury, in what was essentially a second-string XI that was rolled out in the first three weeks. Add in the club’s recruitment of Benjamin White, Aaron Ramsdale, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Martin Odegaard, and Nuno Tavares – who were all heavily scrutinized and new to the club – and patience was urged. Fast forward to now and White, Tomiyasu, Odegaard and Ramsdale are home runs, while Tavares and Lokonga look very promising.

Arteta was lambasted for signing Ramsdale in a deal worth up to £30m and Odegaard for £30m fee plus bonuses. Now it looks like both players were absolute steals with Ramsdale responsible for wins with several spectacular saves. Odegaard is hitting a higher level with each passing game and appears every part the heir to Mesut Ozil’s creative throne.

Under Arteta, Arsenal is now defensively sound, not the soft backline that the club was often criticized for. They are well organized, difficult to break down, athletic and progressive.

The attacking side boasts generational talent in Bukayo Saka, and other young stars in Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli, all of whom are 21 years old or younger. They’re all clicking and they’re all firing. Their individual development has been joyous to watch unfold.

In the midfield Thomas Partey is brimming with confidence and bossing games as everyone hoped he would when he arrived for £50m, while Granit Xhaka, dare I say, is getting his head down, performing an unusual role, doing what needs to be done, and is not creating headlines.

For all of Arteta’s great work on the training ground and game day, another notable change has been trimming the club’s outrageous wage bill and clearing out the naysayers. The club, with the manager’s blessing, halved Arsenal’s £157m wage bill from last season. It now sits at just £87m after the January dealings. The argument to make is that many of these players have been simply paid off. Which is true. But sometimes the bandage needs ripping off early in order for the wound to heal.

The bad eggs are gone, even if no signings were made in January to replace them.

Now, with Alexandre Lacazette leading the line, Arsenal is in the top four, with a one point lead and three games in hand over Manchester United in fifth, three points and three games in hand over West Ham in sixth, and three points and a game in hand over rivals Tottenham. Champions League football is in the club’s hands.

The Gunners still have to play Liverpool, Manchester United, West Ham, Tottenham, and Chelsea in the run home so it is not guaranteed, but Arsenal is finally in a strong position.

Crucially, away from the spotlight, Arteta has instilled a determination and a list of non-negotiables for players to follow and, as we’ve seen with Ozil and Aubameyang, the Spaniard does not care who the player is or what stature they hold within the club: if you are not in line with his values and way he wants things to run, you are out. That kind of ruthlessness has been absent for years.

He’s cultivated a culture at the club. This is an exciting place to be, somewhere you want to be, and everyone is onboard.

While it is still early days in the team’s development, the signs are promising and Arteta’s Arsenal revolution is starting to gain serious momentum. Will it end in Champions League football? There is no reason to suggest it won’t.