Has Arteta reached his peak at Arsenal?
It has been five years since Arsenal announced that Mikel Arteta would be the club's permanent manager.
Freddie Ljungberg had managed the Gunners for about a month after they sacked Unai Emery following a run of poor results.
Former player Arteta was seen as the ideal candidate for the job, given his emerging popularity as a successful assistant manager under Pep Guardiola.
Seen as a statement signing by the Arsenal American business owners, Arteta's move quickly garnered much excitement from the fans. After working closely with Guardiola for three and a half years and helping to improve several players while winning titles at the Etihad, he was expected to bring a revolution to the Emirates. Arteta's willingness to leave the comforts of the Etihad was also seen as a plus.
Meanwhile, in 2015, Arsene Wenger, who Arteta had played under between 2011-2016, also spoke effusively about the Spaniard and predicted a future in management for his then-player. The Frenchman said the 42-year-old had all the tools to make a fine manager.
So it was no surprise to see Wenger give his approval to the young manager when Stan Kreonke brought him to the Emirates Stadium in a bid to return Arsenal to the glory days.
Good start at Arsenal
Arteta enjoyed a good start to his managerial career at Arsenal.
Despite finishing in 8th position, the former Arsenal captain led the Gunners to their 14th FA Cup title in his first year in charge, beating Chelsea 2–1 in the final. That made Arteta the first person to win the FA Cup as both captain and coach of Arsenal, while he also became the first manager to win a major trophy in his first season in charge of the club since George Graham in 1986–87.
Arteta won his second trophy as manager after Arsenal beat Liverpool 5–4 on penalties in the FA Community Shield the following season. But he finished eight for the second season running. Still, there was a visible improvement, with Arsenal finishing the season with more points than the previous campaign.
There was even more progress the next season, with Arsenal finishing in fifth place, with even more points won than the previous season. Having stabilised the team, the next stage of the 'process' was for Arteta to compete regularly for the top four and to bring in titles, with the Premier League title perhaps the most important. The 42-year-old has done the former but has failed to achieve the latter.
After finishing outside the top four in his first three seasons in charge of the club, Arteta's team has been the nearest contenders to a dominant Manchester City side in the Premier League. In the last two seasons, Arsenal have managed to maintain a consistent rise under Arteta. They have finished second in two consecutive seasons behind just Manchester City. This includes the narrow two-point title loss in the 2023/24 season.
Arsenal struggles this season
After finishing with 89 points last season, many expected Arsenal to improve on their performances of the last two seasons, especially with Arteta's side looking like the best version of Arsenal in the post-Wenger era.
However, Arsenal have struggled to reach the same heights this season, failing to capitalise on Manchester City's deterioration. As a result, questions are being asked about Arteta's ability to lead the club forward.
Some suggest that he has reached his peak at the Emirates and should be replaced if the club wants to win that elusive Premier League title.
But is it true that it is time for a change at Arsenal? Has Arteta reached his peak at the Emirates? That reasoning surely appears to be too premature for the following reasons.
Arsenal are still the division's second-best side
There is no denying that Arsenal are having a relatively poor season so far, considering their recent rise and the expectations that come with it. But the Gunners have not dropped out of the top four and have found some kind of consistency to ensure that they remain firmly in position to secure Champions League football come the end of the season.
The Gunners' performance this season has only been bettered by a resurgent Liverpool under Arne Slot.
After 27 rounds of football, Mikel Arteta's side is second only to the Reds in terms of accumulated points. Even though the league table was split to reflect home matches and away matches, only Liverpool are better than the Gunners.
Arsenal have picked up 28 points at home against Liverpool's 32 this season and a further 26 points on the road against Liverpool's 35.
The Gunners also sit second behind the Reds in terms of goal difference despite the injury blight that has hit them in the attacking third.
Injuries to key players
Arsenal started the season in explosive fashion, winning the Premier League Community Shield against Manchester City, which indicated their goals for the season. The Gunners' hugely impressive 2-2 draw against Pep Guardiola's side in game week five impressed Arsenal ticket buyers and even rival fans.
Arteta's side looked like they were finally going to match Manchester City and clinch the PL title this season after narrowly missing out last season.
However, a host of injuries to key attacking players has heavily dented their title chances this season.
Arsenal's failure to win the Premier League last season was in part down to Bukayo Saka's slump in form at the business end of the season. The left-footed winger has been Mikel Arteta's single most important attacking asset and has led the Gunners for goal contribution since the 2022/23 season.
The 23-year-old winger started the season on the front foot and led the Gunners' charge for the title before being sidelined by a hamstring injury.
This injury has caused Arsenal's attacking threat to take a nosedive. Furthermore, Arteta is currently enduring an attacking crisis unlike any he's ever seen.
His injury as well as injuries to Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Harvetz, and Gabriel Jesus, have exposed Arsenal's attacking frailties.
In the last two transfer windows, the Gunners were expected to make a marquee signing by bringing in a top striker. Many fans and pundits concluded that a proven goalscorer is the last piece left of the puzzle for Mikel Arteta's side to take their full shape. But they failed to do so and are now paying for it.
With Havertz ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, Mikel Arteta can only kiss the title goodbye.
However, Havertz's injury may be a blessing in disguise for Mikel Arteta, as the Gunners will be forced to bolster their attacking depth in the next transfer window.
Considering how his side has fared without a proven goalscorer leading the attack, it is safe to assume that Arsenal will be able to finally mount a real challenge when they can get their striker issues sorted.
The rise of homegrown talents
One hallmark of a club on the right trajectory is the rise and integration of youth team players into the first team, a scenario that indicates continuity and growth.
Just like the great Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger, Mikel Arteta has been able to identify and improve youth team players who have gone on to make their mark in the first team.
This season, the loss of Bukayo Saka has been eased by the performances of Ethan Nwaneri. Arteta has deployed the Hale End graduate on the right wing. He has done a decent job of filling the space left by Saka and has contributed seven goals and one assist in 26 appearances in all competitions. The 17-year-old stood out with his performance in the 5-1 demolition of Manchester City earlier this month.
Myles Lewis-Skelly is another breakout star, who has set the Emirates alight with his performance. The 18-year-old left-back has provided stiff competition for both Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko and has been Mikel Arteta's first-choice left-back in recent months due to his impressive performances.
Mikel Arteta's ability to polish these gems points to his deep knowledge of his players, his brilliance as a coach, and his suitability to the Arsenal philosophy.
Arsenal's season may have taken a hit, but the performance of these gems will inspire the fans and be a testament to Mikel Arteta's ability to take the club forward.
Conclusion
Arteta's side have left much to be desired, considering the amount they have spent since the Spaniard took over.
Still, the presence of a filthy-rich Manchester City side coached by one of the best coaches in football history, Pep Guardiola, means Arteta will have to mastermind an impeccable season to claim the Premier League title, just like Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool in 2019.
Even Klopp had to settle with playing second fiddle to Manchester City in his eight years at the club, except for that one season when the Reds won a whopping 32 games to clinch the title ahead of Manchester City.
Arteta needs to be backed in the next transfer window, and if he fails to deliver, then it could be time for change. But for now, the Spaniard isn’t to blame for Arsenal’s woes.