It was not always the smooth sail that many now imagine for Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. On a crisp December night in 2019, at about one in the morning in...
It was not always the smooth sail that many now imagine for Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. On a crisp December night in 2019, at about one in the morning in a Manchester suburb, Vinai Venkatesham stepped out of Arteta. �s home. The Arsenal managing director looked around, satisfied with his meeting. Arteta had just outlined a hugely impressive five year plan to rebuild a club reeling from Arsène Wenger. �s departure and Unai Emery. �s failed succession. Venkatesham stepped into his car and was driven away with his colleague Huss Fahmy. In the scheme of things, the club were about to take a huge gamble, but one with which they were increasingly comfortable. For many Arsenal executives, Arteta had won the interview round in 2018 when Wenger left. Yet it seemed too much to ask a 36 year old rookie to manage a seismic transition. Emery had pedigree and experience; Arteta had charisma and a strong playing record. The powers that be at the club, however, were convinced that the Spaniard. �s vision was the right one. The early seasons were far from plain sailing. There were crises, boos from the stands, and loud doubts from pundits and fans alike. But insiders credit the club. �s owners for staying the course, refusing to panic when results faltered. Arteta, for his part, showed the resilience of a man who understood the weight of the Arsenal jersey. He drew on the same discipline that made him a formidable midfielder, and gradually, the team began to give a good account of themselves. At the end of the day, the lion. �s share of the credit must go to the manager. �s refusal to abandon his principles. He rebuilt the squad with clinical precision, sold off dead wood, and brought in players who bought into his philosophy. The Nigerian internationals currently plying their trade in the Premier League, such as Victor Osimhen and Victor Boniface, would recognise that kind of steely determination from their own journeys. The Arsenal story is not one of overnight magic; it is a testament to steady hands and a clear head. For the fans at the viewing centres in Lagos and Abuja, the atmosphere would be electric. As the final whistle blew at the Emirates, the Naira notes would exchange hands in celebration, with supporters shouting. �Arsenal for life!. � at the top of their voices. The proprietors of these centres would be forced to stock extra bottles of cold malt and soft drinks to keep up with the demand. In Surulere, a group of elderly Arsenal faithful would gather under a zinc shed, their faces gleaming with pride as they recounted how Arteta turned boos into cheers. The tension that once gripped every match day had melted into unbridled joy, and the talk would inevitably turn to whether the Gunners could finally reclaim the Premier League crown. For these fans, the journey was worth every moment of anxiety.
