Former Arsenal skipper and club legend Tony Adams has spoken on Stadium Astro about Mikel Arteta following Sunday’s victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The Gunners put on one of their best first-half displays under Arteta on Sunday and showed the discipline required to hold on to the game after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s penalty.
The win broke Arsenal’s 29-game winless streak against top-six sides away from home. The clean sheet meant the Gunners, surprisingly, have the best defensive record in the Premier League, and Arteta deserves a ton of credit for that.
Adams has revealed a conversation he had with his former centre-back partner and Arsenal academy coach Steve Bould about Arteta. And Adams heard nothing but praise about the Gunners boss.
He said: “I can’t speak highly enough of the guy. When I talk to my mate Steve Bould, who’s still in the club managing the Under-23s at the moment, he said to me, ‘Tone, this guy’s got it at all’.
“He’s the governor. He’s the best (Bould has) seen in a long time. He really does understand the game. He expresses himself, he’s very confident. It’s his first job for god’s sake and he’s doing a remarkable job.”
The “best he’s seen in a long time” is huge praise from Bould, who spent years next to Arsene Wenger as his assistant.
Arteta still has a long way to go before he can be compared to the legendary Frenchman but has already done something his former Arsenal boss failed to do in his last 12 years – beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the league.
Arsenal now have to build on that result. The Gunners are just two points from second place and four from the top of the Premier League table.
They have already played Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United away from home and still have the best defence in the league.
If Arteta can continue to improve this Arsenal side, a top-four finish should be a formality. However, more than 80% of the season remains to be played and a lot can happen in that period.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
