Mikel Arteta exclusive: Arsenal could rekindle bitter Manchester United rivalry in Premier League title fight | Football News

Perfection doesn’t exist in the Premier League, but if it does, it will be something like the football Arsenal are producing this season.

The Gunners are a team that stays at home when they’re away. They strike a delicate balance between youth and experience. They drive results with their talent and ability, but they can also achieve ugly victories.

Sunday’s North London Derby victory displayed similar characteristics.

Sunday, January 22, 4:00 p.m.

4:30pm kickoff

Arsenal’s success was methodical, not sudden. Cultivated over time. Refined and refined by practitioners whose standards are relentlessly high, and whose methods are as detailed as they are precise.

Mikel Arteta’s long-term project is beginning to bear fruit.

Arsenal have, perhaps belatedly, passed Manchester City as the favorites to win the Premier League this season, but Arteta isn’t happy with the bookmakers’ estimates.

Like any reasonable head coach, he measures progress with visible landmarks. For example, for the first time since the 2013-14 season, his longtime nemesis Tottenham doubled his in the first league.

Or the five-point advantage (and hand game) they currently hold over closest rivals Man City.

Or even more tempting is their impressive points total (47 out of 18 games). This is the highest number of points earned at this stage of the league campaign. From his 2003 he even surpassed Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ in 2004.

So how did you get here and stay in such great shape?

“The plan was always to get better and get better soon, but the reality is different,” Arteta began. “Unfortunately, curves are not always [upwards]The curve is up and down,” he explains with wave-like hand movements.

“I was lucky because I had the support I needed at every moment. Like Covid, I faced difficulties that I did not plan for. We needed time – a state that needed major improvements. Now we are in a much better position.

The position the Spaniards refer to is the top of the table. If they stay in place until May 28, Arsenal will lift the Premier League trophy for the first time in 19 years. He was a 40-1 outsider before the ball was kicked, but now the Gunners are on the winning side. They are the ones who lose.

“The demands the club places on its players make them hungry,” Arteta continued, confirming in a subsequent sentence that he also conveyed humility. Supporters assimilate that passion and desire.Confidence is very relevant.It has to be at this level.”

“We didn’t do that [win the league]I am new to this team. You have to give yourself all the arguments you can think of to try to achieve that. There is desire, that’s for sure. I’m very happy where we are – I’m not going to change that.”

Arteta’s own obsession with improvement is understandable given his mentorship. He worked for Man City under Pep Guardiola, winning two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup. Years and years later, Pep’s disciple is now City’s most credible threat to his fifth title in his 6th season.

Arteta doesn’t take any sarcasm about usurping his former educator, but he nonetheless enjoys the battle that’s brewing between the red side of north London and the sky blue of Manchester.

“Strange,” he said. “We have worked together for many years. We have had incredible experiences together. We have developed a very special relationship and when you face someone like that It’s always strange. [to leave Manchester City and join Arsenal], was going to happen. ”

While Guardiola’s anguished soul laments his “indistinguishable” team and scrambles for perfection, Arteta does the opposite. rice field. His DNA at Arsenal was very well known in his Wenger-era squad, Arsenal, but has finally made a comeback. Soccer is easy on the eyes and sometimes exciting, but more importantly, it’s predetermined to win.

“We protect and represent the club in every way possible,” he said. “We can be better as a club, as a team. That’s the demand we have to put on ourselves. We said first that we want to be the best. That’s what this club wants.” Our main focus is doing the right thing every day.

“Winning ties everything together. Trust me. Winning helps a lot. It’s everything we do. The way I speak here, everything we do on the football pitch, the way we put it down. Every decision is a win. That’s the most important thing.”

Man City’s mini-slump is Arsenal’s victory, but stormy waves lie ahead. Indeed, the target behind the Gunners is getting bigger by the week, with Manchester United looking to insert themselves into the narrow title race. Arteta says that any contest that is so delicately prepared should have “twists and twists.”

Eric ten Hag’s meeting with United on Sunday thus reached an interesting juncture. Dealing with big events has put this youthful Arsenal side back in the past.

“We’ve learned a big lesson. You have to understand that setbacks have a certain context. Sometimes you can control them, sometimes you can’t. We have a responsibility to learn from our mistakes.”

“It is true that the team has learned to deal with those difficult moments in a very efficient way. We play three days ago… but you still win in that context.

“So winning in any situation is what a great team should have. You can’t win the same way every three days, it’s impossible. You can cross the line and win a soccer match.”

This season is full of momentum-changing moments. There is also an Arsenal advantage. Just as United were beginning to show signs of recovery with a win over rivals Man City last Saturday, star midfielder Casemiro replaced Crystal in his mid-week match against Palace in Wilfried. He was booked for a foul on Zaha and was ruled out of United’s trip to the Emirates. The Brazilian’s absence could give Arsenal a competitive edge.

This fixture was synonymous with “dark arts” in the 90’s and 2000’s. Think Patrick Vieira vs. Roy Keane. Think bust-ups and fights, fisticuffs and hula cases. It’s a grudge that precedes both the manager and all playing staff. But this weekend’s encounter has the potential to rekindle the flame. A throwback to a bygone era, if you please. It “makes sense,” admitted Arteta.

“I have memories [of Arsenal vs Man United] Ever since I was young – I watched those fights. I remember really paying attention to how intense and passionate it was…every match is massive right now, but we’re really focused and determined. ”

In fact, both clubs have followed similar upward trajectories after their respective transition periods, but until very recently, they tended to wobble. You may get symptoms.

Arteta concluded with his thoughts on Arsenal’s latest rookie, Leandro Trossar. He hopes to help tilt the title. He wanted to come – he wanted to come. We would welcome such a player to the club.

“He had a smile on his face and believed it was the right time to make the move. It went really well between the player, the agent and the club. I really like the process and the final result. He said It is ready and will be available on Sunday and I am very happy.”

The question is, will Arteta still be rubbing his hands together on Sunday night, or will United’s comeback prove too hot to handle.

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