Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez insists he is not surprised by the success Mikel Arteta is enjoying at Arsenal.
The Spaniard has transformed the London club and could lead them to win the Premier League by the end of this season.
Having moved to the Emirates as a rookie boss, not everyone was confident in what Arteta would achieve, but Xavi thinks he already had a very good head start.
He told The Times: “No, he’s not surprised me because he had the best references [having worked alongside Guardiola at City] and because if you have played as a central midfielder at Barça you already have a headstart, you have the map of your pitch in your head.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Arteta was groomed at La Masia as a player and worked under Pep Guardiola as an assistant coach and these experiences prepared him for life as a manager at Arsenal.
We have made steady progress since he has been at the helm and we expect the team to keep improving under his leadership.
Another good part of his management of the club is that the Kroenkes are more than happy to keep improving the playing staff and this makes working at the Emirates much easier for the gaffer.
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