The good, the bad, and trust the process: Mikel Arteta marks three years at Arsenal

It’s been three years since Mikel Arteta was appointed as Arsenal manager and it’s been a rollercoaster thus far. A ride that many thought would crash and burn, yet Mikel’s Gunners appear to be on the way up.

Let’s take a look back at the memories Arteta has already created in north London.

First Year: A pandemic, a trophy, and one win in ten.

Arsenal Football Club was in a state of disarray when Mikel Arteta arrived in December 2019. Unai Emery was sacked weeks earlier only for club legend Freddie Ljungberg to take over as interim boss, but not even the aura of an invincible could get that squad going.

So, when Mikel was appointed, it depicted one thing: patience. Hiring a man with zero managerial experience who became the youngest manager in the Premier League meant that this was no quick fix. The club was thinking long-term.

One word that clouded everyone’s thoughts was risk. Graeme Souness believed Arsenal lost their status and even though they’re one of England’s great football clubs, he said: “They’re quite a bit off that right now”.

Arsenal are definitely a big club, and big clubs win trophies. It’s heritage. “We need to be competing for the top trophies in the game and that’s been made very clear to me in my discussions with Stan and  Josh Kroenke”, Arteta said upon his appointment and six months later he guided the Gunners to yet another FA Cup triumph.

However, that victory in an empty Wembley was one of few highs during Arteta’s first year as manager. A pandemic hit and football froze. Until it resumed with no fans, a hollow atmosphere clouded the Emirates as Arteta’s stock dwindled dramatically towards the end of 2020 following a hideous conclusion to the calendar year.

Second Year: Youth. Promise. Potential.

After their worst start to a season in over 30 years, Chelsea arrived at the Emirates on Boxing Day. Injuries meant that something had to change. So, for the first time in the Premier League, Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka started together and the three amigos inspired the Gunners to a vital victory that may well have saved the manager’s job. Momentum ensued.

It wasn’t all rosy in Arteta’s second year, though. A third-round exit in the FA Cup and a semi-final defeat to former manager Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the Europa League resulted in division across the fanbase.

Questions started to be asked after Arsenal’s second consecutive eighth-place finish in the league, but the people at the top stood by Arteta’s side and backed him in the summer transfer window with £150m worth of fresh talent. Nevertheless, this is where that rollercoaster was once again supposed to crash. An opening-day loss to Brentford followed by two heavy defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea left Arteta on the brink once again – even if there were mitigating factors for Arsenal’s slow start. Supporters were growing impatient.

The boss continued to insist he was the right man for the job, and things started to turn following a nervy but crucial home win over Norwich. Arsenal’s youthful vibrance ignited yet another resurgence as the summer arrivals quickly settled. Every player the club signed ahead of the 2021/22 season was under 25 – depicting the Gunners’ vision with Edu and Arteta at the helm.

The Gunners’ European absence meant the Premier League was their primary focus. On Christmas Day the season before, Arsenal were 15th and just four points clear of the relegation zone. 12 months on, they sat pretty in the top four and were well primed for a charge during the second half of the season.

Third Year: Lost focus in top four battle, but title aspirations have arisen

Arsenal’s bright start to 2021/22 saw belief spread among the fanbase. Not only in the crowd but in the dressing room as well, especially after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s January departure.

Arteta’s decision to ostracise Aubameyang was a massive one and while it may have cost Arsenal in the short term, the club will reap the benefits for years to come. The dressing room grew closer, but a stuttering end to the season saw Champions League football slip through their fingers following defeats to arch-rivals Tottenham and Newcastle.

The Arteta debate manifested once more, but those that wanted him gone were now overwhelmingly in the minority. Most could see something brewing at Arsenal; the style of play, the vibrant energy, and the youth. The Spaniard was building something special.

Quality additions in the summer included Gabriel Jesus, Oleksander Zinchenko and a returning William Saliba. This only spurred that youthful side on and Arteta’s outfit have begun 2022/23 in scintillating form.

14 games. 12 wins. It’s Arsenal’s best-ever start to a Premier League season as they sit five points clear at the top of the table. But, they do have company with a great Manchester City side in close proximity. The script couldn’t be more perfect: Guardiola vs Arteta, student vs teacher.

Just how far can the Gunners go this season?

“The best time to play Arsenal would have been three years ago,” said David Moyes, a former manager of Arteta’s ahead of West Ham’s Boxing Day visit. Three years ago he was appointed and the ride hasn’t stopped yet, so buckle your seatbelts.