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Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Goodison, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sat down for an exclusive chat with Sky Sports to discuss his first 12 months in charge of the club, facing in-form Everton, why results have nosedived of late, and whether he plans to enter the January transfer window.
By an odd coincidence, Arteta takes his struggling Arsenal side to Everton, in a match you can see live on Sky Sports, almost exactly a year to the day he was in the stands at Goodison having just been named Unai Emery’s successor.
“I want people to take responsibility for their jobs and I want people who deliver passion and energy in the football club. Anyone who doesn’t buy into this, or that has a negative effect or whatever, is not good enough for this environment or this culture,” said the Basque at his unveiling last December.
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Fast forward 12 months, though, and Arenal find themselves languishing in an unfamiliar position of 15th in the Premier League, just five points above the relegation zone, after their worst start to a top-flight campaign in almost half a century.
All of which is a far cry from the start of the campaign, which Arsenal entered with great optimism after victories over Man City and Chelsea en route to winning last season’s FA Cup as Arteta became the first man to win the competition as both captain and manager of the club.
Not only that, but the 38-year-old also became the first Arsenal manager to win a major trophy in his first season in charge of the north London club since George Graham in 1986-87, with a second piece of silverware soon following in August after a penalty shootout win over champions Liverpool in the FA Community Shield.
However, the Gunners head to Merseyside this weekend with faith in Arteta waning after a demoralising recent run that has seen them win only one, and lose six, of their last nine league games.
Previously, the former Arsenal skipper’s position at the club seemed secure as a result of those impressive one-off cup wins over rivals City, Chelsea and Liverpool.
But such morale-boosting displays only remain in fans’ and owners’ memory banks for so long.
Mikel Arteta poses with the FA Cup after Arsenal’s win over Chelsea last season
This is football and it is a results business. Period. And Arteta has not been getting those for some time now.
In fact, Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw with Southampton at the Emirates was Arteta’s 50th game in charge of the club in all competitions, with Arsenal having won more cup ties (14 of 17) than league encounters (13 of 33) under him in that time.
So, much to discuss then with the Arsenal boss as he prepares his side for a tough-looking trip to Merseyside this weekend…
Saturday 19th December 5:00pm
Kick off 5:30pm
It is almost exactly 12 months to the day you were appointed Arsenal manager, so how do you assess the progress your side has made in that time? Are you a better team now than the one you inherited?
1:48
Arteta reflects on his first year at Arsenal as they prepare to face Everton in the Premier League
We have faced one of the most challenging and difficult years in our history. We have made a lot of progress and implemented a lot of things that are working really well.
The biggest highlights are the two trophies we won in this period, but at the same time, these last results in the Premier League have taken the gloss off the progress and all the work that we have done.
And we know that it is not good enough.
You must have been delighted with the fighting spirit your players – many of them young and relatively inexperienced – showed against Southampton, especially in the second half when it could have been easy for them to hide?
2:59
FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Arsenal’s draw with Southampton in the Premier League
Absolutely, and I have zero doubts what the players are trying to do. We are all united, we are all ready to fight against the cause. Things have been difficult, many different circumstances have put us in this situation – the amount of suspensions we are getting, the injuries, some of the chances, and the way we have lost football matches.
But this is the reality and what you cannot fault is the spirit, the fight, and the togetherness around the team.
I suppose it is in these types of difficult situations where as a manager, you really learn about your players?
Without a doubt. Normally in difficult moments is when you see the real people, personal and professional, and it is a necessary thing to go through for a team, as well as a club. I’m saying as a club as well, because in these moments is when you really see who we are. When things are going well, it is really easy to be supportive and being in the photograph.
But when things are not going well, then that is when you have got to be prepared to do that – first of all, to defend our players as much as possible and…
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