Theo Walcott has praised Mikel Arteta for the work he is doing at Arsenal, and the Englishman is confident that the Spaniard is making the Gunners a top club again.
Arsenal has underachieved in the last few years and the owners are now looking to rebuild the team and make it competitive again.
Arteta is the manager who has been trusted to help complete the turnaround at the Emirates.
The Spaniard has had it really tough at the helm, but his team has hit top form recently, which has seen them close the gap with the teams at the top of the league table.
If Arsenal continues their upward trajectory, the Gunners have a real chance of finishing this season inside the top four.
That has been the goal since 2018 and Walcott thinks Arteta has put them on the path to success and praised the work of the former midfielder.
The Southampton winger told TalkSport as quoted by the Metro: ‘I like what he is doing Mikel, particularly with young players.
‘Obviously, Smith Rowe, he made his debut the other night, which I am a big fan of. I really am.
‘He [Arteta] is starting to mould into a really good manager, and I feel like his man-management skills are down to a T.
‘I have seen him how he was right at the start and how he is now, again similar to Steven [Gerrard], his interviews, his presence on the sideline.
‘I just feel like there’s a fear factor coming back now which is really nice to see. Highbury was the main place everyone feared going to, the Emirates was very difficult to have that same effect.
‘But I’m starting to now feel like the Arsenal are coming back to where we all want to see them – an Arsenal that are challenging is always going to be better for the league.
‘This year, I think we’ve got them in a couple of weeks time, after that game, I’m sure they’re going to have a really good season.’
Arsenal’s next league fixture is against Liverpool and it would be a serious test of their return to form.
If they can beat the Reds, confidence in the dressing room would be sky-high ahead of other fixtures.
Great to see Walcott talk so highly of MA, rightly so. However, I would caution here that confidence is good enough for the players, but over confidence is damaging. We cannot forget what Liverpool did to Man Utd, just weeks ago and so we have to be brave but cautious.
Sorry….Arsenal are not United……pool will find it difficult to score against Arsenal with the new defenders will want to prove something to themselves and their supporters……..I think and hope the defenders have a very good game and keep Liverpool out..and they will play with confidence with Ramsdale behind them……..
To have a “fear factor” you have to force your game onto the opposition. The next few games will tell us wether we have a fear factor. Sitting back and trying to soak up the pressure doesn’t create the fear factor. Taking the game by the horns, forcing mistakes and being first to the ball sets the tone for that.