Mikel Arteta has revealed that he sometimes asks himself, “What would Arsene Wenger do?” In certain circumstances, he is rising to the challenge of leading Arsenal to the title this season.
Arsenal prepare to face Tottenham in the north London derby as they defend their three-point lead at the top of the Premier League, with Arteta looking to emulate Wenger’s achievements in delivering the north London side to the Premier League title.
Last week, Arteta named Wenger as one of the four main mentors of his career, along with Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino and David Moyes.
The other three are still involved in the game and have been the Spaniard’s direct rivals throughout his career, but Arteta admits he still talks to Wenger about his role at Arsenal, but admits it doesn’t always have to be the case.
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“He is there. He lives with me constantly now.” Arteta says: Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth in an exclusive interview at Arsenal’s training ground.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. It’s what he lived for, what allowed him to live at this football club.
“Arsene has such an aura and personality that lives with you as a human being. He is constantly here. When I need to reflect and think about something, I always go back to those times. How does he do it? What does he analyze and make decisions about?
“Then it’s up to you and your personality to communicate what you think is best.
Wenger captained Arteta’s Arsenal more than a decade ago.
“And there are things that Pep taught me, my father taught me, and my mother taught me. And we are all built from these experiences and life references. My wife is the same.
“I want to sit in your seat too. I want to treat you so that you feel the same way even if we switch chairs.
“When I think about a player, I think, ‘Let’s sit in his chair and see what he thinks.’ That’ll probably give you a better idea of what’s going on.”
When asked who Arteta turns to when he needs a leader, the Arsenal manager said: “Especially the players.
“When I’m in any emotional state where I’m lacking something, it’s probably coming from there or from the staff. And then there’s my family, and then there’s four amazing mentors who are a huge part of my life. I wouldn’t be sitting here if they hadn’t come across my journey since I was a player, and I’m forever grateful.”
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In the latest episode of the Sticker Book Challenge, Mikel Arteta talks about his relationship with Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger, and reveals that the Arsenal manager was the biggest influence on his career.
“In their own right, they are an inspiration to me. And they are a part of me. Sometimes I don’t need to pick up the phone, because the best thing is the example they set for me – the standards and certain behaviors that I learned from them at that particular moment. That’s probably the best thing.”
Has Arteta improved as a manager? Is he calmer?
It has been noted that Arteta has looked more comfortable at Arsenal this season. Not only can we measure more from the touchline, but we also deal with press conferences and the day-to-day pressure of ending Arsenal’s trophy drought in all competitions.
“It’s human evolution,” Arteta says of his apparent changed attitude. “A lot of things have happened in my life over the last two or three seasons that have impacted my life today.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed the extent of Gabriel Magales’ injury and that it is now up to the squad to replace him.
“The needs and understanding of the team and what kind of coach and leader the team needs now is probably different than what the team needed two or three seasons ago. That’s all.”
“When I’m on the touchline, when I’m at a press conference, when I’m dealing with problems that can happen every day in a football team, we can accept that. As a father, my children are now a different age and I need different things.
“I’ve been here six years. It’s different. The people around me are different now, and they’re communicating different things to me now.”
Arteta will be hoping this season delivers something in terms of results after five years without a trophy.
But one thing that hasn’t changed is their record in North London derbies at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta has never lost a home game against Tottenham in 10 games as a player or manager.
Watch Arsenal v Spurs live on Super Sunday on Sky Sports this weekend. It starts at 4:30 PM.
