Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has insisted that the current manager of the club, Mikel Arteta, will succeed at the club contrary to the insinuations of the critics of the coach.
Mikel Arteta has been under overwhelming criticisms especially from some of the fans of the club because of the current form of the North London club. The club has been playing well in the UEFA Europa League as they qualified from the competition’s group H after winning 6 out of 6 matches to top the group with a perfect 18 points.
But Mikel Arteta has not been able to replicate that form in the Premier League where Arsenal have recorded 4 wins, 1 draw, and 6 defeats in 11 league games. In Arsenal’s last four Premier League matches, the club has recorded just a draw and suffered three defeats in a row.
This inconsistent performance has left the club in the 15th spot on the league table with just 13 points. The club is currently 7 points away from the relegation zone and 8 points away from the top four.
Mikel Arteta has a game against struggling Burnley on Sunday and he is expected to redeem himself by winning convincingly because if Arsenal fails to win against the 18th placed league side, the Gunners will end the weekend 4 points closer to the bottom three.
The current form of Arsenal especially in the Premier League is gradually eclipsing the performance of Mikel Arteta when he just took over the coaching department of the club in the summer of 2019.
Recall that in his first season at the club, he led Arsenal to win the FA Cup, and before the commencement of the 2020-2021 season, Arteta led Arsenal to defeat Liverpool to win the Community Shield.
With these stats, Arsenal’s chief executive believes that the 38-year-old Spanish tactician has a huge drive to succeed at the club despite the poor run of games the club is currently experiencing in the Premier League. Venkatesham described Arteta as “extraordinary” despite leading the club to the club’s worst start to a season since the 1981-1982 season.
“With Mikel, we have got several things,” Venkatesham told The Times. “You’ve got an individual who has extraordinary experience in the Premier League across his time at Arsenal, Everton, Manchester City, and then back at Arsenal.
“You have got a guy that loves this club and understands what it means to play for this club, and he was captain here. You’ve got a guy who is a real team player.
“The team he’s formed with technical director Edu and also his staff is really strong. You’ve got a guy who is driven to succeed but doing it in a way that respects our history and traditions. I think with him we have got a really powerful individual.”
Mikel Arteta has played for Arsenal between 2011 and 2016 and captained the club before he left the club to join Manchester City. While at City, he became the club’s assistant coach under his countryman, Pep Guardiola.
Arsenal appointed Arteta on December 22, 2019, to replace Unai Emery. He still has until June 30, 2023, before his current contract with Arsenal expires.
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