Jamie Carragher admits being surprised by Mikel Arteta’s early success at Arsenal

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Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has told the Telegraph he has been surprised by Mikel Arteta’s impact as Arsenal manager.

Carragher and Arteta played against each other on the opposite side of the Merseyside divide but the former Liverpool man said there was nothing in what he saw to suggest he’d be capable of managing Arsenal aged 37.

He said: “Hearing about this dynamic, inspirational character made me wonder if that said more about the lack of personality at the Emirates than Arteta. If you had told me during our battles when Arteta was an Everton player that he be would be managing Arsenal at the age of 37 I would have thought you were joking. I just did not see it.

“When we lined up against that Everton side, we never felt Arteta was their leader. The clamour from Arsenal supporters for Arteta’s return shows they saw something in Arteta the player that I missed. In the early days of his reign, it is pleasing to see why so many believed in him. I have been impressed by Arteta’s impact.”

TBR’s View – Monday’s first half shows scale of Arteta’s task but he’s made a strong start

Arteta has learned from two of the best in Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola but taking on the Arsenal job as his first one was a huge risk.

The first half against Leeds on Monday night showed how far Arsenal have got to come – the culture that Arteta must change – but he has made a strong start.