When Mikel Arteta left Everton on transfer deadline day, 2011, the club he joined, Arsenal, were not in a good state. They had just been humiliated 8-2 by Manchester United, were severely lacking in quality and quantity in their squad, and were widely expected to finish outside the top four for the first time under Arsène Wenger. Arteta’s arrival for £10 million sparked cheers more of relief than anything from Arsenal fans, and although he was signed as a stop-gap for Cesc Fàbregas above all else, his career at Arsenal has been successful to say the least.
Before he signed, Arsenal were seriously lacking in creativity in midfield. The departure of Cesc Fàbregas to Barcelona and Samir Nasri to Manchester City meant that Arsenal’s mesmerising midfield of the season before was seriously depleted. To add to Wenger’s troubles, Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby both suffered long-term injuries which effectively ruled them out for the whole season. This meant that Arsenal’s only attacking options in the centre of midfield were the then inconsistent Tomas Rosicky, the inexperienced Aaron Ramsey and the loan signing Yossi Benayoun.
Very quickly, Arteta completely transformed Arsenal’s midfield. He had acquired quite a reputation in his time at Everton, being known not as a world class player, but certainly one who was capable of making a mark in Europe and who deserved to have a stab at Champions League football. He did not disappoint.
As Arsenal rebuilt their season, Robin van Persie grabbed the headlines but Arteta orchestrated the Gunners’ renaissance quietly from the midfield. His crisp passing and perfect technique allowed Arsenal to control games; his vision and flair allowed the team to attack with menace; and his defensive acumen allowed Alex Song to make marauding runs forward of his own and provided stability in an otherwise hectic midfield.
In short, he was crucial to Wenger’s team in their march to the Champions League. It is no coincidence that the team struggled when he wasn’t playing. In January, whilst he was on the sidelines, Arsenal lost every league game they played and staggered through two home FA Cup ties. At the very end of the season, when he suffered another lay-off, just six points were taken from five games.
Though few waxed lyrical about his contribution and he remained modest in his service, Arteta did provide a few stunning moments. His free-kick against Aston Villa as Arsenal won their seventh consecutive match, and in particular his gorgeous late winner from long range against Manchester City will live long in the memory of many Arsenal fans.
Arsenal’s midfield and team in general was in good shape at the end of the 2011-12 season, but unfortunately, the departure of Robin van Persie to Manchester United, as well as the sale of Alex Song (due to attitude issues, so the story goes) to Barcelona, meant that Arsenal were, in some ways, back to square one. Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski were Arsenal’s new offensive options, but instead of a new defensive midfielder, playmaker Santi Cazorla was bought.
At that time, money was tight for Arsenal. Giroud, Podolski and Cazorla were all bought for modest sums, and Arsenal did not have much left in the reserves for a strong holding midfielder. Therefore, Wenger and Arteta worked together to change Arsenal’s ever-reliable attendant from an attacking technician on the top of his game into a dependable deep-lying midfielder. This is a prime example of Arteta’s loyalty and dedication to the cause. He was willing to completely transform himself at the age of thirty just to help his club.
The next season, though some criticised him, the Spaniard was just as crucial as the year before as Arsenal secured Champions League football once more. What perhaps sums up Arteta’s contribution best is something which featured in The Sun newspaper in 2013. In order to show Michael Carrick’s value in the Manchester United midfield, they showed how he featured in the top three for all of the (attacking) categories which are most important to a deep-lying midfield orchestrator — passes, successful passes and touches both overall and per 90 minutes. Amazingly, Arteta was ahead of him in all of them. As a holding player he has not been as strong defensively as the likes of Nemanja Matic today, but his vision has helped him stop opposition attacks from developing and start Arsenal’s own moves forward.
The season after, Arteta began to attract criticism for his lack of defensive resistance in games such as the 6-0 defeat at Chelsea, with many believing that Mathieu Flamini was a better alternative in his position. However, in the overriding majority of Arsenal’s games he was still the reliable controlling force, and he was Arsenal’s leader in the absence of Thomas Vermaelen in the starting line-up as Arsenal won silverware for the first time in nine years.
That is another great quality of Arteta’s: he has a huge effect on the team off the field. It has been reported that he walks around in the dressing room after games with all of the statistics for the 90 minutes and gently rebukes those not putting in enough effort. Clearly, Wenger wants him around for a long time not least because he is such a great influence on players both young and old. It is this leadership, coupled with his attention to detail, determination and work ethic, which suggests that Arteta may be a top class manager one day.
Mikel Arteta is not a player who will be able to lead Arsenal to the glory in the Premier League and Champions League they are so desperate to achieve, but he is not a man who should be sold as soon as possible, either. He is still more than capable of controlling games against the so-called “weaker” teams and clearly has a positive effect on the dressing room. Arsenal must look to Francis Coquelin and even better holding midfielders whom they might sign to compete in difficult games away to teams like Chelsea and Manchester City. But Arteta, Arsenal’s playing and non-playing captain for two consecutive FA Cup wins, is someone who will serve the club and team with dedication and style.
