From breaking into the Barcelona youth setup as a player to turning Arsenal into a genuine Premier League title contender as a manager, Mikel Arteta has had quite the soccer career so far. Can the Spaniard guide the Gunners to Premier League glory this season?

Can Gunners Fend Off Man City?

The Premier League title battle is shaping up to be a two-horse race between Arteta’s Arsenal and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. To add extra spice to the battle, Arteta was Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad Stadium for three years. For those looking for a sportsbook bet on the Premier League title winner, Arsenal is priced at -120, while Man City is available at +100. The championship battle looks likely to go to the wire.

Guardiola was undoubtedly a great teacher to Arteta, but the Arsenal boss is looking to get one over on his former mentor. The City manager has won four Premier League titles during his time in Manchester, with two of those coming while Arteta was his assistant.

Arteta’s Glittering Career in England

Barcelona gave Arteta his senior debut back in 1999, as the San Sebastian-born man was given a chance in the C team. He was promoted to Barcelona B before moving to Britain in 2004 to sign for Rangers in Scotland.

After a brief spell back in Spain with Real Sociedad, Arteta was subsequently loaned to Everton before signing on a permanent deal at Goodison Park in 2005. Arteta was popular in Merseyside but the move to Arsenal in 2011 was the biggest of his career. The Spaniard spent 11 years in the Premier League, racking up almost 300 Premier League appearances for Everton and Arsenal combined.

Arteta Proving His Worth at Emirates

After learning from the best during his three-year coaching spell at Man City, Arteta was given the Arsenal managerial job in December 2019. Despite winning the FA Cup in 2020, Arteta’s first couple of years as Gunners boss was a mixed bag.

After missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification on the final day of the 2021-22 campaign, Arteta’s time at the Emirates was at a crossroads. However, the London club has used that disappointment to kick on and have their best season since the glory days of Arsene Wenger.

They made an excellent start to their campaign and have not looked back. The London club has had a few disappointments along the way, but Arsenal has been incredibly consistent and has remained top of the table despite a serious challenge from current champions Man City.

Of course, there will no doubt be plenty of ups and downs along the way, but Arsenal has given itself a terrific chance of getting its hands on the Premier League trophy for the first time since the 2003-04 “Invincibles” campaign.

Whatever happens from now until the end of the season, Arteta has got Arsenal playing the right way again and has brought back the feel-good factor that was missing for so many years. Still, getting the better of Guardiola and guiding Arsenal to the Premier League title will be Arteta’s greatest achievement in soccer.

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