Mikel Arteta tipped to emulate Arsene Wenger with 20-year Arsenal reign as former Gunners favourite praises job Spaniard has done with 'sh*tter players' since 2019

Mikel Arteta is being tipped to emulate Arsene Wenger’s 20-year reign at Arsenal, with the Spaniard getting the best out of "sh*tter players".

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• Represented Gunners as player & coach
• Won the FA Cup and Community Shield
• Now looking to land the biggest of prizes

• AFP
  

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners’ current boss worked under a Premier League title-winning coach from their not too distant past after moving to north London as a player in 2011. Arteta returned to Emirates Stadium to take managerial reins in December 2019.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  He has overseen FA Cup and Community Shield wins, while helping to turn Arsenal into contenders for the English top-flight crown once more. Questions have been asked of whether Arteta can force the Gunners over that line – replicating the success that Wenger once enjoyed – but he has plenty of credit in the bank.

• WHAT ANDERS LIMPAR SAID

  Ex-Arsenal star Anders Limpar shares that opinion, with the Swede speaking in association with brands reviewed and ranked by experts at as he told GOAL of whether Arteta can spend two decades in the most demanding of roles: "Of course. If we win one of the big tournaments like the Premier League or the Champions League, then he is going to stay there for a long time.

  "He has proved how to turn a sh*tter team into a world-class team. He has turned sh*tter players into unbelievable players – the top players in Europe. He is doing something really good, with the mentality of the whole place.

  "We are stable, we are a rich club, we can go and buy whoever we want. We don’t have to jump on his back. Just leave his back for a moment and let him work.

  "The stress factor on Arteta’s shoulders to win something, that must be so hard for him to carry. Just leave him for a while and see where it takes us. We are definitely going to be among the top three or four for many years. If we win a title along the road, or a Champions League, that’s going to be a tremendous bonus."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Arsenal are still in the hunt for European glory this season, having booked a quarter-final date with defending champions Real Madrid, with Arteta working on a contract that is intended to keep him in his current surroundings until at least the summer of 2027.