Arsenal won at Manchester United for the first time in 14 years. Arsenal have also won away at a ‘big six’ Premier League club for the first time since January 2015.
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There is no coincidence this is happening as Mikel Arteta is moving Arsenal in the right direction as they sit four points off the top after the first seven games of the season and he revealed he was ‘proud’ of their polished, mature victory at Old Trafford.
Mikel Arteta has changed the culture at Arsenal
Arteta spoke to ProSoccerTalk after the game and couldn’t hide his delight as his side dominated Manchester United and should have won by more than one goal.
What did this win do for the culture he is trying to create and develop among his players?
“It generates a belief and binds everyone together,” Arteta said. “Everybody is going to feel really part of it because we are playing players who haven’t played that many minutes in the Premier League recently and they were good today. Everybody has to be ready. If we want to perform at that level we are going to have to do it with a big squad because the fixtures are crazy at the moment and the demands physically are huge.
“Everybody has to contribute and ask ‘what did I bring to the team?’ They have to analyze themselves and it is not just on the pitch. It is outside on the training ground when you are not selected. What do you bring to the team? How can you help? How can you contribute? I am really happy with what the boys are doing.”
With the Europa League, League Cup and Premier League games coming thick and fast, Arsenal are using so many players but the culture is growing stronger no matter who is on the pitch.
Arteta has provided a clarity to Arsenal and every single player knows exactly what is expected of them.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang summed it up best.
“We knew since the beginning that we had to trust the process. Mikel is bringing something very nice and everyone wants to follow him,” Aubameyang said.
Arsenal clearly moving in the right direction under Arteta
Thomas Partey dominated midfield alongside Mohamed Elneny and Arteta has produced a clear playing style and philosophy that his players are totally committed to.
New center back Gabriel was solid and their 3-4-3 system was flexible, dependable and his team played with a maturity and tactical understanding you see from groups of players who have been coached by the same manager for many seasons.
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Arteta has been in charge for 10 months but with FA Cup and Community Shield trophies under his belt and big wins against big teams consistently, he is outthinking opposition managers regularly and his players are delivering his gameplans to a tee.
“I think we are creating expectations because we beat United and then we beat Chelsea and then we beat Man City, then Liverpool, then Liverpool in the cup, and we want to beat them all the time. These teams are in a different moment in their processes than us,” Arteta said.
‘What I demand is that we need to beat them all the time and compete to the limit against them with our weapons. We will evolve in other things and get better in others, but we need to create the belief that we can go to any ground and be so competitive. It is something already that has been a positive.”
It is clear a win away at Manchester United, a fellow ‘big six’ club is another important step in the right direction as Arteta rebuilds Arsenal impressively.