What a job Mikel Arteta and Eddie Howe are doing at Arsenal and Newcastle United respectively.
Arteta has the Gunners flying high at the top of the Premier League by five points ahead of Manchester City, while Howe’s troops are third in the table and looking very good value for a shock Champions League qualification spot.
Come May, it’s very probable that the Arsenal or Newcastle boss will be named Manager of the Season.
However, Ian Wright, on a podcast about awards for the midway point of the Premier League campaign, has gone with someone else thus far.
The iconic Arsenal hitman has said that Roberto de Zerbi of Brighton & Hove Albion is his pick.
The Italian manager had the unenviable task replacing Graham Potter – now at Chelsea – at the Amex Stadium but, considering the Seagulls are sixth in the table, you could say De Zerbi is doing a wonderful job.
With his co-hosts talking about Arteta and Howe, Wright told The Wrighty’s House podcast on Spotify: “I am delighted for De Zerbi. Delighted for him. It was Graeme Souness and that was talking about who is he? What’s his experience in this league? My gosh. I don’t think anyone’s come in and has been so impressive in the way he’s gone. I’m probably going to go with him as my tip.”
Despite losing a massive player in the form of Leandro Trossard – who joined Arsenal – and there being speculation about Moises Caicedo leaving, De Zerbi still motivated his troops enough to see off Liverpool yesterday.
Albion, who hammered Jurgen Klopp’s side 3-0 in a Premier League game earlier this month, secured a 2-1 FA Cup victory over the Reds again on Sunday.
De Zerbi isn’t the fashionable choice for Manager of the Season thus far, considering he’s only been at Brighton since September, but Wright is correct in praising him and it’ll be fascinating to see whether he can sustain it.
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