MY ACCOUNT
Arsenal have an impressive pedigree when it comes to producing world-class players — and two of their former stars are now well on the way to becoming elite coaches.
Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira did not play together in North London but all eyes will be on Selhurst Park tonight when the ex-Gunners collide in a battle of the bosses.
With Arteta’s Arsenal chasing a top-four finish and Vieira’s Crystal Palace continuing to receive plaudits galore, there is far more than just London pride at stake.
Ahead of the Premier League clash, we analyse the impact that two of Arsene Wenger’s disciples have had on their respective teams this term.
Mutual respect
There has been no shortage of mutual respect between the two ahead of tonight’s game.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference Vieira said: “I’m not surprised about the way they [Arsenal] are playing and progressing.
“I believe they have a good squad and good manager. Now they have a really clear understanding about how they want to play, are playing better football and have confidence.”
Echoing his fellow manager’s comments, Arteta said: “It’s a team that, especially at home, is doing really well.
“Patrick and the coaching staff, I think they’re doing a great job and we know how it is to play in that stadium.”
But friendships will be put to one side at Selhurst Park, with two variations of the Wenger playbook going toe to toe.
Arteta awakening
Arsenal have come a long way this season and it is easy to forget they were rock-bottom after three games.
But the building blocks had been laid, with the Gunners embarking on an upward trajectory since the 5-0 humbling at the hands of Arteta’s mentor Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in August.
They have lost just one of their last eight games, racing up the table and into Champions League contention.
Ahead of the run-in, Arsenal sit level on points with fourth-placed Tottenham but have two games in hand on their North London rivals.
Immense improvement
Arteta has transformed his side at both ends with the Spaniard ironing out the inconsistencies that plagued the start of his reign.
Like his former boss Wenger, Arteta has placed great trust in youth. Summer acquisitions Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White are evidence of that and have shored up the defence.
Ramsdale, 23, has ousted the vastly more experienced Bernd Leno but the decision has been justified with only Alisson and Ederson (17) keeping more clean sheets than his 12.
The Gunners are also yet to concede a goal from a corner in the top-flight this term, suggesting that the soft underbelly which has plagued Arsenal teams of old could be a thing of the past.
Yet it is going forward where Arteta’s stamp has been most visible. The decision to sever ties with captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could have gone either way but both parties have won.
Aubameyang is in red-hot form for Barcelona and Arsenal have not missed him with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli stepping up.
Proof in the pudding
Eyebrows were raised when Crystal Palace announced Vieira as Roy Hodgson’s replacement last summer — not least because they had unsuccessfully tried to appoint Nuno Espirito Santo and Lucien Favre first.
On top of that, the Frenchman had endured mixed spells with Nice and New York City.
But Vieira has been a breath of fresh air at Selhurst Park with the Eagles transformed virtually overnight from an ageing, dull, defence-first team to a young, exciting and attack-minded side packed with potential.
The Eagles are perched in 12th and on-course to finish higher than in either of the last two campaigns under Hodgson.
There is also the small matter of an FA Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea to come after the Eagles put four past Everton in the quarter-finals.
Hardened hatchlings
Crystal Palace had the Premier League’s oldest squad last season with an average age of 29.2 but Vieira oversaw a summer overhaul that prioritised youth.
Marc Guehi, Tyrick Mitchell, Conor Gallagher and Michael Olise have been the four big success stories.
Gallagher, 22, is the oldest of that quartet and also one of three of those players to earn senior England debuts under Vieira’s watchful eye this season.
Stylistically, Palace have transitioned from averaging 39.9% possession last term — the third-lowest in the top-flight — to 50.9%, hoisting them into the top half.
The Eagles managed just 321 passes per 90 under Hodgson last year, while that number has risen to 454 per match under Vieira.
A tussle for the European spots may have come too late for Vieira’s side but they will be no pushover this evening.
