Former Arsenal star Theo Walcott has heaped praises on Mikel Arteta for transforming the north London club since his arrival.
The Englishman who spent twelve years with the Gunners was teammates with the Spaniard who was also the captain of the club at that time. After leaving the Emirates club in January of 2018, the forward joined his boyhood club Southampton.
The north Londoners have been on a impressive run after a miserable start to the season and with Arteta reaching 100 games as the manager, Walcott was asked about his thoughts. Speaking to talkSPORT, he said:
“Do you know how quick that has gone? 100 games. That is incredible. I like what he is doing Mikel, particularly with young players. I feel like he is starting to mould into a really good manager, and I feel like his man-management skills are down to a T.”
And when further queried about the transformation of the former Gunners captain, the England international added:
“I have seen him how he was at the start and how he is now, again similar to Steven, his interviews, his presence on the side-line, I just like that there is a fear factor coming back now.”
Arsenal Fever View:
This is Arteta’s first stint as a manager but there was always going to be a lot of pressure on him. With that being the case, after a successful first season, things went a bit south during the 2020/21 campaign.
And that was compounded by losing the first three games in the Premier League this season. But to the club and manager’s credit, they have responded well and are just two points away from fourth place.
The north Londoners have to now show that the are the real deal and continue their impressive run. With a tough trip to Liverpool awaiting them on the 20th, it will be a real test of how far this team has come.
Arteta has shown great resilience and tactical nous to resurrect the fading hopes that Arsenal had for this season. As Walcott said, he is starting to become a good manager which is also good news for the Gunners.
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