Xavi Hernandez has said that he has not been surprised by how well Mikel Arteta has done during his time as Arsenal boss.
The turnaround in fortunes initiated by the £159,000-a-week man at the Emirates Stadium has stunned both football fans and pundits alike, despite those that backed him to the hilt such as Ilkay Gundogan, Ian Wright, Vincent Kompany and Bernardo Silva to name a few.
Just last season, the Gunners had their chances of qualifying for the Champions League slip from the palm of their hands due to them simply throwing away a golden opportunity.
While some even felt that this very obstacle could have been the blow to send Mikel Arteta packing, Xavi always had faith in the Arsenal manager to get things right.
Xavi says the success of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal does not surprise him
During his tenure as Gunners head honcho, many doubted the former Manchester City assistant manager’s credentials, due to his inexperience and the size of the job.
However, as Mikel Arteta is fronting his side’s Premier League title challenge, Xavi has told the Times how his success at Arsenal does not shock him in the slightest.
“No, he’s not surprised me because he had the best references [having worked alongside Guardiola at City] and because if you have played as a central midfielder at Barça you already have a headstart, you have the map of your pitch in your head.”
“And because Pepe Reina is a close friend of his and has always spoken very well of him. I had a feeling that Arteta would do very well, but it was just a feeling”, Xavi said about Arteta and his success at Arsenal.
It seems as if patience is all that was needed with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, as the biggest names in the game always seemed to know he was the real deal.
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