Mikel Arteta has revealed that he sometimes asks himself: “What would Arsene Wenger do?” This is what happens in certain situations as we take on the task of bringing trophies to Arsenal this season.
Arsenal are preparing to take on rivals Tottenham, who hold a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League, with Arteta looking to emulate Wenger’s achievements in bringing north London the Premier League title.
Last week, Arteta named Wenger as one of his four key mentors during his career, alongside Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino and David Moyes.
The other three are still involved in the game and have been direct rivals of the Spaniard throughout his career, but Arteta admits he still talks to manager Wenger about his role at Arsenal, although that doesn’t necessarily mean he has to.
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“He’s there, he’s always living the moment with me,” Arteta told Sky Sports News’ Dharmesh Sheth in an exclusive interview from Arsenal’s training ground.
“If it wasn’t for him, if it wasn’t for what he lived and what he instilled in me that allowed me to live at this football club, I wouldn’t be here.
“Arsène as a human being has an aura and a personality that seems to live with you. He is always here. When I have to think or think about something, I always go back to that time. What would he do? What would he analyze and make a decision?
“And it’s up to you and your personality to offer what you think is best.
Wenger became Arsenal captain under Arteta more than 10 years ago.
“Then what Pep taught me, and what my father taught me, and my mother taught me the same way. And we’re all made of these experiences and references in life. My wife is the same way.”
“I want to sit in your seat too. I want you to be hospitable and feel the same way even if you change chairs.
“When I think of a player, I think: Let’s sit in his chair and see what he’s thinking. Then maybe we can understand the situation better.”
Asked who Arteta turns to when he needs leaders, the Arsenal manager said: “Especially the players.
“They’re like, if I’m in a certain mental state where I’m missing something, it’s probably going to come from there or it’s going to come from the staff. And I have a family, and I have four great mentors who are a big part of my life. If they hadn’t crossed my journey since I was a player, I wouldn’t be sitting here. And I’ll be forever grateful.”
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In the latest episode of the Sticker Book Challenge, Mikel Arteta talks about his relationship with Josep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger, with the Arsenal manager also revealing the biggest influence on his career.
“In their shoes, they inspired me. And they’re a part of me. And sometimes I don’t have to answer the phone because the best thing is the example they set for me, the standards and certain behaviors that I learned from them in a given moment. That’s probably the best thing to do.”
Has Arteta evolved as a manager? Is he more calm?
It has been noticed that Arteta looks more relaxed this season than he did during his time at Arsenal. There will be more measurement, not just on the touchline, but also in press conferences and in dealing with the daily pressure of ending Arsenal’s trophy drought in all competitions.
“This is human evolution,” Arteta said of the apparent change in attitude. “A lot has happened in my life over the last couple of seasons that has influenced my life today.
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Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has revealed the extent of Gabriel Magalhães’ injury and how it is up to the team to “step up” in his place.
“The needs and the understanding of the team and what kind of coach and leader the team needs now is probably different than what the team needed two or three seasons ago, that’s all.
“I can take that in when I’m on the touchline, when I’m giving a press conference, or when I’m dealing with issues that can arise on a daily basis in a football team. Even as a father, my children are now at a different age and they need something different from me.”
“I’ve been here six years and it’s different. The people around me are different now and they’re telling me different things now.”
Arteta will be hoping that this season, after five years without a trophy, will tell him something in terms of results.
But one thing has remained the same: his record in the North London derby at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta has never lost a game in his 10 home games against Spurs, both as a player and as a manager.
Watch Arsenal vs Spurs live this weekend on Sky Sports’ Super Sunday (kick-off 4.30pm)
