Mikel Arteta gave the perfect response to Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice's praise

Mikel Arteta just gave the perfect response to what Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka said about him in respective interviews recently.

Arteta knows that he has a special bond with his players, and that has resulted in making this team one of the very best in the world.

Of course, there are things that they can improve on, but largely speaking, Arsenal look better than they have in years, and part of that is down to the team chemistry and how every single player knows what they are there to achieve.

Everyone knows their role, and everyone looks to be very kind to one another, which is great to see.

In a recent interview, Saka talked about the influence Arteta has had on the player, and how much he has helped the Englishman. Similarly, Rice also talked about his relationship with the manager, and only had good things to say.

Mikel Arteta gave the perfect response to Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice's praise

Mikel Arteta was asked about it in the pre-match presser for the game against Chelsea, and his words were a perfect response to the praise of both of these players.

He said: "Well, I always said that the difficulty of being so long at a football club is probably in that relationship, that belief that you need to have from the players.

"Because at the end, when you look at them and you're talking or you're proposing to do something, you need to inspire them and they need to be on board immediately.

"I'm very pleased that the boys are feeling that way, that they want to continue to work with us and with all the coaches and the staff. That means that they enjoy what they do."

It is perfect. Arteta knows how difficult it is to keep finding new ways to improve and motivate a group of players that has been so close to winning titles in the last two or three years.

The struggle of finding these new ways to be able to be a source of inspiration for the rest of the group is difficult, and these quotes from two of his biggest and most well-respected players are an indication that what he is doing is working.

It also must fill Arteta with a sense of pride that these players are comfortable in the system and environment that he has helped create in order to achieve what the club wants to achieve.

It is also showing how selfless Arteta is. What matters to him the most is the way these players feel off the pitch and how they perform on it, and that is where it ends. He does not make it about himself, he does not do any of that.

The focus remains on the players, and that is a perfect example of great man-managing.