The advancement has been so pronounced and the transformation that effective, it probably slips the mind that during his first nine months at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta’s status was simply ‘head coach.’
The original idea was for him to focus on the team, but that was playing too small. Arteta wanted to breathe life, bravery and direction into the club.
When he was appointed in December 2019, Arsenal were out of the Champions League, 10th in the Premier League table, and they did not possess a discernible DNA.
Arteta could not simply coach them back to relevance, there needed to be drastic change.
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Paul Merson gives his prediction for the North London derby on Super Sunday
In September 2020, after winning the FA Cup and overseeing intensive work to cure a culture of complacency, as well as having demonstrated a wide-ranging ability to improve Arsenal beyond just on the grass, his title was altered to first-team manager.
Arteta would run not just the team, but work in tandem with sporting director Edu on football operations; a relationship that is seen as the axis to which Arsenal’s excellence spins.
Since day one, the pair have been synchronised on what they want Arsenal to become and the methodology to make it happen.
Arteta presented a five-phase plan to return the club as a domestic and European force when he was hired, with Edu co-signing every point.
Their professional and personal bond has delivered an identity, steel and surety to Arsenal, with the Kroenke ownership steadfastly believing in, and supporting, their technical recommendations.
Arteta and Edu are quick to highlight the staff in the shadows who enable them to make informed decisions, such as the finance team, who sketch out the affordability of every transfer target and keep them abreast of every PSR eventuality.
Mikel Arteta has signed a new contract as Arsenal manager
Conversations with employees circle around the same truth though: the clarity from above makes it easy for them to carry out their jobs.
Arteta and Edu have reconfigured Arsenal to the extreme.
Clearing out players at odds with building a healthy environment and a sustainable blueprint came with a significant monetary hit and acerbic criticism.
They amended the age profile of the squad, became more surgical and aggressive in recruitment, raised standards in the performance analysis and medical departments, all while giving Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City sleepless nights.
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Raheem Sterling explains how Mikel Arteta helped bring him to Arsenal
It is a testament to the work Edu and Arteta have done that the manager who has won four Premier League titles on the spin credits them with keeping his team hungry and hunting.
The pair are still plotting; there will be a greater emphasis on recruiting for and enhancing the academy, and plans have been devised on how to reach the ‘decisive 10 per cent,’ which will turn Arsenal from challengers to champions.
That there was no fuss over Arteta agreeing to extend his stay at the club, nor the need for formal discussions, speaks to the strength of their relationship.
Edu and Arteta are aligned, and with that Arsenal will feel nothing is impossible.
Arsenal’s incredible improvement in numbers
In his first two seasons under Arteta, Arsenal finished in eighth spot. Their finish there in the 2020/21 season saw them miss out on European football for the first time in 25 years.
After an improved fifth-placed finish the following years, they qualified for the Europa League, before successive second place finishes behind Manchester City. It saw them return to Champions League competition for the first time since the 2016/17 season.
The 2023/24 season saw Arsenal win their highest ever number of Premier League games (28), amassing 89 points – just two behind Pep Guardiola’s side. It is an addition of 33 points since Arteta’s arrival, with each season showing a steady increase in points total.
But perhaps the biggest jump has been in goal difference. Last season, Arsenal ended with a huge +62, scoring 91 goals and conceding just 29 – the lowest in the Premier League.
It is a huge increase from the +8 Arsenal had in the 2019/20 season, and still significantly higher than the +45 in the 2022/23 campaign, showing improvements in both attack and defence.
Seven games in 21 days – Arsenal’s fixture list
September 15: Tottenham (A), Premier League, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 2pm
September 19: Atalanta (A), Champions League, kick-off 8pm
September 22: Man City (A), Premier League, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 4.30pm
September 25: Bolton (H), Carabao Cup third round, live on Sky Sports+, kick-off 7.45pm
September 28: Leicester (H), Premier League, kick-off 3pm
October 1: Paris Saint-Germain (H), Champions League, kick-off 8pm
October 5: Southampton (H), Premier League, kick-off 3pm