MY ACCOUNT
Mikel Arteta would have liked the chance to take advice from his former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, but has praised the legacy left behind by the Frenchman in north London.
Wenger, who joined the Gunners from Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1996, led the club over a two-decade-plus period that saw them emerge as one of the leading sides in European football.
Since his exit in 2018, however, he has seldom held a presence around the club, unlike former rival Alex Ferguson who has remained closely involved with Manchester United.
Speaking ahead of his side’s Premier League clash with Brentford, Arteta – a two-time FA Cup winner under Wenger during five seasons as a player at Arsenal – acknowledged he wished he could have taken his expertise.
“I would have loved to have had him closer to have the opportunity to open up and in certain periods just listen and learn from him and everything he has been through,” he told the Mirror.
“But he did it in a way to make sure that whoever comes after him had the respect and space he believed was important, and he honoured that.”
With five wins and just one loss from their first six top-flight games this term, victory against Brentford could catapult Arsenal back to the summit, ahead of Manchester City and Tottenham.
Much of their success has come from the imposing presence of goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who is anticipated to be in line to start England’s Nations League games with Italy and Germany later this month.
With usual Three Lions keeper Jordan Pickford out injured, there is a chance for Ramsdale to stake a claim for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, and Arteta says it would be a fitting prize for his performances.
“I hope [Ramsdale] is the [England] number one, it will be great for us and it will be great for Aaron,” he added. “He has shown in the last year or so what he is capable of doing.
“We will be watching and waiting for that decision. Aaron is pretty confident. It would be a good reward for him and what he has done.”
