The table since Arteta’s ‘rock-bottom’ proves Arsenal were right to trust the process | OneFootball

Arsenal are set to be rewarded with the Premier League title for keeping faith with Mikel Arteta in the wake of the lowest point of his Gunners tenure.

Questions were asked of the Arsenal boss as recently as last month when his side lost – briefly – control of the title race with a 2-1 defeat at Manchester City.

But rock-bottom for Arteta really came at the Etihad in August 2021.

Then, his ‘appalling, inhibited and insipid’ Arsenal were thrashed 5-0 by Pep Guardiola’s men to mark three straight defeats to open up the 2021/22 season.

Most damningly, it marked the first time in Arsenal’s 134-year history that they had lost their opening three league games without netting at least once.

As our 16 Conclusions noted at the time, ‘Arteta might not be the problem at Arsenal but it is patently clear he is no longer the solution.’

This is where that worst-ever start left Arsenal at the end of August, 2021. And, to make matters worse for Arteta, look at Tottenham, under Manager of the Month, Nuno Espirito Santo…

It has taken him almost five years, but Arteta looks all set to ram those words down our throats by delivering the Premier League title to the Emirates.

Following that with the Champions League too would be represent a splendid ‘f*** you’ to his critics, among them this formerly-good site.

Arteta, though, deserves immense credit for how he has brought Arsenal to the brink of their greatest-ever season.

In the close-to-five seasons since that humiliation at the Etihad, when City and Arsenal looked poles apart, Arteta’s Gunners have taken only 17 points fewer than Guardiola’s side.

During this time, Arteta can consider himself unfortunate not to have already won a Premier League title.

Since that rock-bottom, Arsenal have taken 2.13 points per game, close to City’s 2.23 ppg. But City have won three Premier League titles to Arsenal’s none.

Liverpool have won the title in that period, but Arteta’s points per game average is better than what the Reds have managed (2.03ppg) under Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot.