George Graham delivers verdict on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, shares derby prediction

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Arsenal legend George Graham has given his thoughts on Mikel Arteta’s efforts as Gunners manager so far and also gave his prediction for Sunday’s derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

After Arsenal parted company with Unai Emery last November, they brought Arteta in a month later as their new permanent head coach, snapping him up from Manchester City.

At the time of his arrival, Arsenal were stuck in a rut, in the bottom half of the Premier League table with just 23 points from 18 games, amid some bad results and poor football.

The Gunners have since won two trophies – the FA Cup and Community Shield – and have brought in some great players, but it’s not quite been plain sailing performance-wise and results-wise.

Arsenal are currently sitting 14th in the Premier League table, having lost five league games this season including two of the last three – the other being a goalless draw.

“I like Arteta,” Graham told the Glasgow Times. “When you think about it he’s taken them to Wembley, he won the FA Cup. He’s done a good job.

“Arteta’s career is very similar to my career. He’s worked with one of the best coaches [Guardiola] for three or four years.

“If he is a good pupil, he should be learning how Guardiola coaches and he should be picking up ideas all the time, with that period that he had under Guardiola.

“But the only thing I will say is, sometimes you are doing it with lesser players, not as good as the top ones.

“I think he has done a good job. There’s a big hiccup just now but they’re losing by the odd goal, they are not getting hammered. He’s stopped that.”

Arsenal have a tough game ahead of them as they prepare to travel across North London to face Tottenham Hotspur, who sit top of the table.

However, Graham believes the Gunners have what it takes to return to the Emirates Stadium with a point in a draw.

“I think Arteta will come through it [the game],” said the former Arsenal and Spurs boss. “He’s very ambitious. I hope he does.

“Arsenal is a big club – it deserves to be in my opinion, anyway. They deserve to be in the top four.”