Mikel Arteta was mocked for these decisions, now they define his Arsenal

Arsenal are returning to Premier League action this weekend. They welcome Leeds United to the Emirates, looking to get back to winning ways after the three-week international break.

Just before the break ended, the Gunners made arguably their most important move of the season by agreeing a new long-term contract with manager Mikel Arteta, who will now remain at the club until 2030.

Arteta has transformed the club, bringing it from a dwindling giant up to a potential dynasty at the top of the Premier League. Despite only winning one league title so far, it feels like the first of many for Arteta at the Emirates, with the potential for Champions League success too.

Arteta has proven his critics wrong

The Spaniard hasn't been without his critics during his time at Arsenal. Whether it be people blaming him for 'set-piece FC' or mocking him for playing music in training, he's had plenty of doubters to silence during his time in North London.

Former Gunners forward Paul Merson was full of praise for Arteta after he signed his new contract, saying that there were two widely criticised moves he made and has since been proven right. Merson told Sky Sports: "It's a perfect scenario. He deserves it, he's a really good manager. I like him, I like what he's done at Arsenal. And he took a chance.

"You look at [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang and [Mesut] Ozil, they were top players. He came in and went, 'no, they're not right for the club. They're not setting the right example.' And out they go. Arteta was getting stick for bringing David Raya in for Aaron Ramsdale. Look at him now, Raya's probably one of the best goalkeepers in the world."

Considering that Ozil and Aubameyang had been arguably the Gunners' two most impactful players when Arteta arrived, and he opted to get rid of both of them, it takes guts to make such a bold move in your first managerial role.

But, now we're looking at how Arteta transformed the team, and it shows just how savvy a decision it was from the Arsenal boss.

In terms of Ramsdale, he could have easily stayed and been a solid first-team keeper for several years to come, but Arteta wanted more. Ramsdale was loved by the Arsenal fans, but because of Arteta's boldness, the Arsenal fans now have one of the best keepers in the world in David Raya. The manager's new contract is as deserved as it possibly could be.

Add us as a preferred source on Google