From sack rumours to EPL manager of the month win – Arteta’s remarkable September turnaround
At the start of September, Mikel Arteta was in grave danger of losing his job at Arsenal. Three games into the Premier League season, the Gunners had lost all, scored nothing and conceded 9 goals. It was all looking bleak for the Spaniard.
This is how quickly things can change in the world of football and kudos must go to Mikel Arteta for somehow inspiring a positive change in results.
What a period the last one month has been for the Premier League manager of the month of September. Here is to hoping Arteta continues to deliver after the international break otherwise, it won’t be long before the calls for his sack prop up again.
There were calls by club fans on social media for Arteta’s sack. Antonio Conte was touted by the media to be the man waiting to replace him. If reports that emanated are to be believed, Arteta had until the end of September to turn results around or face the sack.
3 wins with 3 clean sheets and 1 draw in 4 Premier League games since the beginning of September is not only the current holder of the Premier League manager of the month, but also has his job at the Emirates Stadium secure once again.
Ahead of the September international break, the beat was on and the pressure was high. Arsenal had just suffered an embarrassing 5-0 loss against Manchester City. Arteta needed to find a solution to Arsenal’s problems quick and fast.
The international break afforded him the opportunity to work on his team. Thankfully, he had new signings that we just beginning to settle in and players who were just returning to fitness.
During that break of close to 2 weeks, Arteta came up with a new lineup consisting of a blend of his new signings and injury returnees. He also apparently gave priority to working on his team defence that had hitherto conceded an average of 3 goals per game.
The result was a 1-0 win over Norwich City immediately after the break. It may have been “just” a 1-0 win over the whipping boys, Norwich, but the Gunners did keep a clean sheet for the first time in the EPL this season.
Then came the tough narrow win at Burnley and the wondeful destruction of Tottenham, and Arteta’s redemption was complete.
Ghost Mode