Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott believes he has spotted a change in Mikel Arteta’s behaviour this season.
Mikel Arteta has grown and evolved as a manager in his time at the helm at Arsenal.
When the Spanish coach was first handed the reins in December 2019, taking on his first ever managerial role, he took over a club in crisis.
At that point, the Gunners were something of a mid-table side, having fallen away from the Champions League reckoning, and there was a toxic rift between the club and the supporters.
Arteta was able to re-energise the club, and has made Arsenal genuine title contenders again. Following their win over Wolves on Saturday evening, the Gunners find themselves at the top of the Premier League table with five game left to go – albeit, Manchester City are just one point behind them and hold a game in hand.
Why Mikel Arteta has attracted criticism at Arsenal
However, Arteta has come in for criticism at times in his Arsenal tenure. In his first couple of campaigns in charge, his side were inconsistent and suffered some damaging defeats. At times, great pressure built up on the former midfielder, and plenty of pundits felt his days in the job were numbered.
Sporting director Edu has since explained why Arsenal stood by Arteta during this time. The club have now been rewarded for their faith in the manager.
Arteta has also regularly come under fire for his touchline antics. The Arsenal boss has a reputation for being an energetic and exuberant presence in his technical area, constantly barking instructions to his players and gesticulating wildly, which has been met with disapproval from some quarters.
However, Theo Walcott feels that Arteta’s touchline behaviour has changed dramatically in recent times.
Theo Walcott describes major change in Mikel Arteta
Speaking on Sky Sports (20/04/2024, 21:51) in the wake of the Gunners’ win over Wolves at Molineux Stadium, the former Arsenal forward said, “Mikel, he’s definitely a lot [more] laid-back on the sideline…he definitely is, I feel like he is, compared to last season…I just feel like the experiences he had from last year, from the mistakes they made at this time in the season, which cost them in the lesser games shall we say, I can’t see it this year.”
When speaking of last season, Walcott is referring to how Arsenal’s title push fell apart during the run-in. This time around, with that painful experience under their belts, the Gunners have a far better idea of what to expect when it comes to the pressure and intensity that comes with being in a title race in the final stretch of the campaign.
It is a time that calls for calm, which is what Arteta now exudes from the dugout. If his assured, steady demeanour and attitude can rub off on his players then that can only be a good thing for Arsenal as they now look to go one better than last season and win the title this time around.