Mikel Arteta deserves Arsenal credit but not all of it – Emery might be on course for fourth title by now | OneFootball

On the surface, Mikel Arteta has had an undeniable transformational effect on Arsenal. Since joining a tenth-placed Gunners side in December 2019, he has made them perennial contenders, and current favourites to win a first title since 2004.

However, the credit Arteta receives may be disproportionate to his contribution. Under different circumstances, the progression may not have been so assured.

Arteta has overseen a squad overhaul while significantly reducing its age profile. He has lifted the FA Cup and has helped turn Arsenal into one of the best defensive sides in Europe.

Yet crucial foundations were laid prior to his arrival.

Unai Emery established Bukayo Saka as a first-teamer. Arteta then inherited a prospect experienced in the Premier League and primed to establish himself. Gabriel Martinelli shared a similar path, collecting Arsenal’s Player of the Month award in October 2019.

While Arteta helped the wingers develop into stars, Emery created a platform to acclimate.

William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães are the pillars of Arteta’s league-best defence. At the forefront of their emergence was former Technical Director Edu Gaspar, who initially recruited Saliba and Martinelli for Emery. Edu also signed Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and David Raya among others.

Two themes appear from this trend: Edu’s talent identification and a substantial transfer budget have greatly aided Arsenal’s rise. The Gunners are second only to Manchester United for net spend in the past five years.

The contrast in trajectories since is a reflection of Arteta’s work, but also how funds have been used.

Arteta deserves recognition for trusting those prospects and refining their talent. Yet that coaching was enabled by the club’s patience. In his first full season, Arsenal endured their worst start to a campaign since 1974. In modern football, sacking the manager after such poor form is a near-guarantee. When given time to implement their ideas, most managers would expect to see improvement.

Arsenal went on to record three consecutive second-placed finishes between 2022/23 and 24/25. The Gunners finished behind Manchester City and Liverpool, who this season have strayed from their usual standards with 53 and 40 points respectively. Arguably, being spared after three failed title challenges may mean consistency is being mistaken for dominance. Fifty-seven points after 26 matches follows totals of 58 and 63 at the same stage in 2023/24 and 2022/23 – signalling marginal fluctuation rather than clear progression. A title this season would primarily be a result of weaker competition.

All of these factors suggest an eventual title was increasingly likely. While Arteta has played his part, it seems the circumstances he entered have had an equal role in Arsenal’s success. Had Arsenal hired one of their other targets or showed Emery similar grace, the results wouldn’t necessarily be worse. Emery has since transformed a struggling Aston Villa into Champions League participants.

The Gunners may even be chasing their fourth consecutive title right now, rather than trying to shake the ‘bottlers’ tag.