‘Amazing what he is doing’… Emmanuel Petit so impressed by one ‘remarkable’ Arsenal man

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Emmanuel Petit has suggested that he has been amazed by what one Arsenal man has done, claiming that his achievements have been remarkable.

The Gunners are, once again, in a fantastic position in the Premier League this season. Mikel Arteta took the side into the title picture last year. And they are right in the mix once again in this campaign. They also have the knockout stages of the Champions League to look forward to.

It is quite something to think about where Arsenal were when Arteta arrived. The Spaniard was appointed when the Gunners were 10th in the Premier League. And they were still searching for what their identity would be in the post Arsene Wenger era at the Emirates.

Emmanuel Petit amazed by Mikel Arteta

Obviously, the waters were choppy for some time for Arteta. And there were a few times where, from the outside, it appeared that he was going to get the sack. But the club stuck by the 41-year-old.

And speaking to AS, Emmanuel Petit suggested that he has been taken aback by how well Arteta has done since returning to Arsenal in 2019.

“I know that in modern football, especially in the big clubs, you don’t have time to put on the pitch what you want to do, the vision you have of your players. I know of all the criticism he received when he first signed for Arsenal, all the problems he had to manage in the locker room with players like Aubameyang, for example. Step by step, you know, this team returned with its DNA in the field, the work that [Arteta] has done is remarkable,” he said.

“I think it is amazing what he is doing with this squad, because he has an adequate vision of the field of play, a clear identity in the game, but he is very demanding of his players. He loves his players, but they have no room to do what they want, at all times they have to follow the rules. The team is the star; the players are not the stars, the team is the star, and he imprints a real mentality on this team, a real unity and a great identity on the pitch.”

Gunners’ patience is being rewarded

It is not a coincidence that three of the four longest-serving managers amongst Premier League clubs right now are Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Arteta. Thomas Frank is the other name, but took charge of Brentford while they were in the Championship.

Of course, their managerial spells have been so long because they have been successful. But you could also say that the clubs’ patience has been rewarded.

Arteta has taken Arsenal back towards the summit – perhaps in Europe, as well as in England. And what is exciting for Gunners fans is that it is not yet clear where their journey will culminate.