Ex-Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell has explained how Mikel Arteta can reproduce Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s successful philosophy at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta, 38, spent three years as Guardiola’s assistant coach at City, taking notes as they won back-to-back Premier League titles for the first time in the club’s history.
The Spaniard has clearly picked up some good habits from his former colleague, winning six and losing just two of his opening 13 games as Gunners manager.
However, the former Everton midfielder’s playing style in his first foray into management has been more pragmatic than free-flowing.
Ex-Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell admitted Arteta still has a lot of work to do to match his old mentor, telling the Chronicles of a Gooner podcast: ‘Everybody thinks Pep Guardiola’s system is attack, attack, attack.
‘Pep Guardiola’s system is work hard, graft and press the ball. Once you can do that you can play all the pretty football you like because you wear teams out.
‘You have to, 1: Be extra fit, 2: Have the buy-in from the players in order to do it, and 3: This is probably the most important thing, you have to have the right players.’
Read the latest updates: Coronavirus news live
‘Unfortunately, Mikel Arteta this season is our third manager, so it may take a bit longer because now I think we’ve got the right manager, but now we have to get the right players in.
‘I don’t think we’ve got the right players in our system to play the way Mikel Arteta wants.’
The Gunners have been notably more solid under Arteta compared to former boss Unai Emery, and remain the only side not to lose a Premier League game in 2020.
Campbell admitted the defence will be even stronger when 19-year-old William Saliba arrives from his season-long loan spell at Saint-Etienne next season.
He added: ‘At least we’ve got a centre half, big, strong, quick, centre half who is going to go straight into that side, he has to.
‘If we can get Saliba in and bed him in nicely then at least the defence is a lot younger and is a lot stronger.’
MORE: Kieran Tierney hails ‘mind-blowing’ Gabriel Martinelli as the player who has shocked him at Arsenal
MORE: Willian ‘free to negotiate’ with Arsenal and Tottenham as Chelsea contract talks stall
Follow Metro Sport across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
