Layth Yousif
Arsenal’s victory over Premier League champions Liverpool this week gave boss Mikel Arteta his finest moment in charge of the north London giants.
The Gunners 2-1 triumph over Jurgen Klopp’s Reds at the Emirates on Wednesday evening was vindication of Arteta’s methods, albeit against a side that had taken their foot off the pedal since lifting the prized silverware last month.
Arteta’s desire for an intense pressing game from the top led to two uncharacteristic errors from the Merseysiders normally solid backline, with Virgil van Dijk and keeper Allison Becker’s errors leading to both Arsenal goals in a welcome victory.
But can Arteta put one over on his former club Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley? Strategist Arteta was highly-valued at the Etihad as Pep Guardiola’s trusted confidant as their haul of trophies attested to.
In the aftermath of the stirring triumph over Liverpool, Arteta made a point of saying: "The gap between the two teams is enormous but the accountability, the fight, is now equal and I'm very proud of that."
Meaning that while his Gunners squad may not have the quality of the current champions line-up, the attitude and fight of his players matched that of the best team in England.
More of the same will be required in north west London this evening if they are to eclipse a vibrant City side who brushed Arsenal aside during their first match back after lockdown.
Excellent performances and work rate are required across the board from Arsenal, while the backline’s frustrating habit of switching off and losing concentration has to be addressed if they are to reach the final of the world’s oldest competition.
Those failures were evident in the galling 2-1 loss at Spurs in the north London derby at the new White Hart Lane last Sunday – and Arteta is acutely aware of the need to bring in reinforcements to strengthen his squad in the long-term.
Arteta cleverly moved the onus onto the club’s owner Stan Kroenke after the Liverpool victory by admitting it was a ‘concern’ that the club did not have the finances to bolster his squad.
While it is clear that his philosophy is taking hold after seven months in charge, it may be too soon to topple a talented City side bolstered by UEFA caving in and rescinding the two year ban for allegedly breaching Financial Fair Play rules.
What is clear is that Arteta does have a ruthless streak – as he alluded to during his first press conference upon taking charge – as witnessed by his refusal to include the lackadaisical Mesut Ozil in his plans and the truculent Matteo Guendouzi.
Both players are not expected to feature at Wembley where hard work and discipline will be required, with speculation rising the club will pay off Ozil’s remaining 12 months and that Guendouzi will be offloaded to fund future purchases.
What is certain is that Arsenal have improved under Arteta, looking a more compact and cohesive unit with the majority of the squad buying into the head coach's high tempo ethos.
The Gunners have won eight of Arteta’s 18 matches in charge and would be fifth in the table if only results since he took the job counted.
It promises to be a fascinating match, but whatever happens at the national stadium Arteta’s quiet revolution is gathering momentum.
