Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is happy that the Gunners are responding well to his philosophy. However, the 37-year old knows that his team is far from where it should be. Arsenal may have dropped only one game out of 11 games, but five of those were draws. Hence, the reality is that the Gunners are running 10th in the Premier League table and are far from their main goal.
Things have certainly changed for the best for the Gunners ever since Arteta took over last Dec. 20 from Unai Emery. Somehow, Arteta's philosophy has rubbed the players in the right way. There are already players who have felt comfortable with the Spaniard's system, particularly Shkodran Mustafi.
The German got a new lease on life, starting in Arsenal's last six games. He is one of the reasons why the Gunners are doing well, and now he wants to stay there long-term. This is a big turnaround considering the 27-year-old had considered leaving the team before. Much of that was because he was not utilized then, something that has undoubtedly changed under Arteta's watch, Goal.com reported.
“What I can tell you is I am really proud to manage this football club at the moment and really happy with how everyone is reacting around the club,” Arteta said via PA Media Sport.
But what most are seeing is perhaps nothing compared to what Arteta has in mind. Being a former player and someone who used to work alongside Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, the Spaniard knows that a process cannot be fast-tracked. Time is essential, and work needs to be done. He does not believe in accelerating the process, something that could be counterproductive on what he has planned for Arsenal.
“We have to maintain the things we do good and maybe then we have little margins of improvement that we have to aim to achieve,” he said.
Hence, the good news is that Arsenal is making progress, and Arteta is leading the team in the right direction. It remains to be seen if other players will follow Mustafi's stance, committed to staying and being part of something big.
One player that comes to mind is Bukayo Saka. The 18-year-old's future is questionable, especially with Manchester United and Liverpool expressing interest. Arteta is leaving it up to management to negotiate a new pact, opting to keep his hands off. But from the way he was speaking, the 37-year-old would love to keep the English football player, Sky Sports reported.
"He is a very brave guy. Every time he gets into the final third, he is trying to cause problems for the opponent. He deserves these chances, he is doing very well and that's why he is in the team," he said.
