Arsenal are set to take on Wolves on Thursday evening, and the manager has taken the opportunity to praise his rivals ahead of their upcoming clash.
The Gunners went head-to-head with Bruno Lage’s side just two weeks ago, after their previous match had to be postponed due to a number of Coronavirus absences, and the decision was taken to allow us to take them on twice close together.
While we were able to beat them 1-0 at the Molineux a fortnight ago, which denied them the chance to leapfrog us in the table, they have another chance to do just that having won twice since our previous encounter, whilst we have only played Brentford in between.
Their league position is testament to the hard work that his side have put in, and Arteta has taken the opportunity to praise his counterpart for the job he is doing.
“He’s done a really good job,” Arteta said in his pre-match press-conference(via Birmingham Mail). “I think Nuno set different standards at that club and the work he did at that club was phenomenal in every sense and he set the club to a different standard in the Premier League.
“Now Bruno has come in and has put the team again in another level. The way they are competing again is remarkable.”
He was then asked if he thought they have what it takes to push for a place in Europe, and the manager couldn’t disagree.
“They look like it, with the way they are playing,” the Gunners boss added. “The results they are getting and the consistency they are showing that’s for sure.
“If you look at the last two games and how they played against us they’re going to be up there.
“First of all, the recruitment that they have and the players that they have brought in, with the qualities, with the characters and the specificity with which they play.
“Obviously the defensive performances that they’ve put in have been superb with the amount of goals that they’ve conceded.
“With the creativity that they have and the goal threat that they have, that combination is always going to be a positive outcome.”
On recent form, Wolves deserve to be considered as our strongest rivals for a place in the top-four, although it remains to be seen whether they will be able to keep up their impressive defence and form until the end of the term.
Thus far they deserve every respect in that aspect, and this fixture could well be one of the few remaining matches which will decide those top six or seven places in the division.
Patrick