Arsenal’s mid season break to Dubai has come at just the right time for the club amid injury concerns and the need for players returning to full health.
Ben White returning to Arsenal training has started the trip off with a huge boost for Mikel Arteta as the England international adds to his defensive options.
However, Gabriel Martinelli has been ruled out for a month with hamstring injury and now leaves the manager very short in attack – just four fit senior forwards to choose from in February.
It is an extremely testing time for Arteta but it is not the first time in his managerial reign that the Spaniard will have overcome adversity for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s top ten moments as Arsenal manager
Mikel Arteta was appointed Arsenal manager in December 2019 and has taken charge of 269 matches so far in his reign. Here are Arteta’s top ten moments as Arsenal manager.
Arteta’s rant at PGMOL following Newcastle defeat
Arsenal are no strangers to refereeing controversies this season but Arteta’s fury at the PGMOL came to a head back in November 2023 following a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle at St James’s Park.
Antony Gordon’s goal should have been disallowed as the ball appeared to have gone out for an Arsenal goal kick in the build up but was allowed to stand by VAR.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Arteta unleashed a furious rant, he stated: “It’s incredible. I feel embarrassed, but I have to be the one to come in here and try to defend the club and please ask for help because its an absolute disgrace that this goal is allowed. It’s a disgrace.”
Arsenal fans knew at the moment they had a manager who would stick up for the club when he felt they were wronged.
Arteta leads Arsenal to six games unbeaten against Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal’s latest 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby led the Gunners to six games unbeaten over their arch rivals.
Leandro Trossard fired the winner and extended Arsenal’s longest unbeaten run over Spurs since the turn of the century.
Arteta sends Arsenal back into the Champions League for the first time since 2017
Arsenal had been absent from the Champions League for six years after they crashed out to Bayern Munich 10-2 on aggregate in 2017.
In 2023, Arteta fired Arsenal to a second place finish in the Premier League and the club once again returned to Europe’s elite competition.
During their first season back in the competition, Arsenal reached the quarter final and the run included a memorable penalty shoot-out win over Porto at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal beat Manchester City at Wembley in FA Cup semi final
Arteta’s first season in charge was extremely difficult having inherited a squad low on confidence from previous manager Unai Emery.
Arsenal managed to have a good run in the FA Cup and took on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the semi final at Wembley, the Gunners were huge underdogs.
A tactical masterclass, with the help of two sublime goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, sent Arsenal through to the final on a day Arteta really announced himself as a manager.
Arsenal humiliate Manchester City 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium
Arsenal had come second best to Man City in the previous two seasons but exerted their authority over the defending champions with a stunning performance to win 5-1.
Myles Lewis-Skelly mocked Erling Haaland with his goal celebration and fellow academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri put the icing on the cake for the Gunners and Arteta.
Arteta dropped Aubameyang for North London Derby victory
Arteta’s relationship with captain Aubameyang became strained as the striker returned late from compassionate leave before a huge clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
Aubameyang has vowed never to apologise to Arteta as the manager’s decision was proved the correct one as Arsenal beat Spurs 2-1 without their talisman Aubameyang.
It was at that moment that the culture at the club started to change, players knew that Arteta valued respect both on and off the pitch and results soon began to improve under the Spaniard.
Arteta appoints Nicolas Jover
Nicolas Jover has transformed Arsenal at set-pieces. The Gunners used to be known as a ‘soft touch’ from dead ball situations and rarely threatened from their own attacking situations.
However, Jover was appointed as a set-piece coach in 2021 and have since become the most potent team in the Premier League from attacking set-pieces.
Gary Neville has called Jover ‘annoying’ but the truth is, every team in the country is envious of his work and how he added a different dimension to Arteta’s side.
North London Forever brings new atmosphere to the Emirates crowd
Arteta is known for his thinking outside of the box approach when it comes to preparing his team for games and different scenarios.
The Spanish manager was seen on the Arsenal Amazon documentary using the club’s photographer and a lightbulb as part of pre-match team talks but perhaps the Spaniard’s finest addition to the club is the introduction of Louis Dunford’s ‘The Angel’ before home games.
The crowd sing the chorus ‘North London Forever’ before every home game and has helped the Emirates Stadium become a cauldron for opposition teams – Arsenal remain unbeaten at home in the league this season so far.
Arsenal beat Man City to signing of Declan Rice
Arsenal paying £105m for a player was beyond many fans’ wildest dreams under the Arsene Wenger era, where money was tight and the club was forced to often sell its prized assets.
However, in July 2023, Arsenal did pay £105 million pounds for Declan Rice and saw off competition from Man City in order to land the England star.
Rice has been sensational for the Gunners ever since he joined and the signing was a signal of intent from Arsenal that they were very much back at the top table of world football.
Arteta wins first trophy as a manager with FA Cup triumph in 2020
Arteta’s first and only major trophy as a manager so far came in his first season back in 2020. Having seen off Man City in the semi final, Arsenal were once again underdogs in the final against Chelsea.
The blues took an early lead through Christian Pulisic but two goals either side of half time from Aubameyang gave the Gunners a record 14th FA Cup triumph.
The Gunners will be doing everything for the remainder of the current season in order to add to the club and Arteta’s haul of trophies.
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