Wenger Signs Off on Arteta 1 Year Later
Replacing Arsène Wenger was always an impossible job. While he’s remembered for raising an entire generation of football stars at Arsenal and helping to revitalize the football spirit in the club, his list of on-paper accomplishments is extensive.
There was the double of 2002 when Wenger became the first foreign coach to win the Premier League title and the FA Cup. He did this by defeating Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, which was no small feat for the rivals.
Then came the invincible squad of the 2003-04 season, which Wenger declared a year in advance much to the amusement of pundits and rivals. Wenger had the help of Thierry Henry and others like Cole and Bergkamp.
Wenger took seven FA Cups during his reign and, given his ability to overcome United and Liverpool, as well as Tottenham Hotspur, his legacy will live on for decades for all Arsenal fans. Following his 22-year run, he was replaced by Unai Emery in 2018.
However, it wouldn’t last. Despite a fifth-place finish in the Premier League and runners-up in the Europa League, Emery was cut the next November after a seven-game losing streak and Mikel Arteta, a fellow Spaniard from Basque Country, was named head coach in December 2019.
Arteta Takes Over
Former deep midfielder Arteta spent the early part of his career in La Liga, then with Everton before moving to Arsenal to coincide with Henry’s second debut in 2011. After playing three seasons with the Gunners, Arteta retired with a standing ovation from the crowd.
Since his retirement, the former player has successfully moved into coaching. Despite being offered a position to lead Arsenal Academy by Wenger, Arteta joined Pep Guardiola as assistant manager at Manchester City in 2016.
Following a strong three-year stint with Man City and Guardiola, Arteta accepted the vacant head coach position at Arsenal in December 2019. Shortly after, he staked his claim with the club by making a bold statement: each player is responsible for their position and would be expected to uphold that position with passion and energy.
After a shaky season with Emery, it seemed like there was finally a strong leader behind the Gunners.
Looking Back at the First Season
Arteta stepped into a tough position with the club. Not only was he working with a mid-season entrance following Emery’s release but the club was stuck in a seven-game losing rut. Following Arteta’s debut with a 1-1 tie against Bournemouth, the coach began a campaign of passion and energy to revitalize the squad.
Though the Gunners ended their Premier League run in eighth place (their lowest rank since the mid-90s), the new coach was able to take them to their 14th FA Cup win.
His strong performance in the 2019-20 season means he may be able to turn Arsenal into a champion squad before his 2023 contract is up. For the team and fans, it’s a journey steeped in passion and glory.
But from a business perspective, Arteta’s strong leadership could mean adding a huge new wave of aficionados in the US to the Gunner fanbase. As sportsbooks open up stateside, the interest in wagering on major league sports will increase amongst punters—and the MLS, as well as the Premier League, are slated to receive quite a bit of attention.
Stirring the Pot
During his time as head coach, Arteta hasn’t shown any qualms about stirring the pot. Though Wenger recently stepped forward to back Arteta and has shared advice with the new manager in the past, he’s butted heads with Mesut Özil and Pep Guardiola.
While his rivalry with Guardiola at Man City is of a teacher-student dynamic that is founded on a healthy sense of competition, inter-club dynamics like those with Özil show Arteta isn’t afraid of taking charge of his squad.
The explosive midfielder isn’t included on the group stage lineup for Arsenal moving into the Europa League. Rumors abound about tensions between the two, with most believing that Arteta may not be extending Wenger’s positivity-based approach to feedback.
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