Mikel Arteta has emerged from the coaching school of Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola, with former Arsenal goalkeeper Graham Stack explaining to GOAL the similarities the Emirates Stadium title-winning boss shares with other Premier League-winning managers. Arteta has now become a managerial force in his own right, having picked up key lessons throughout his journey.
Arteta worked under Wenger and alongside Guardiola
As a footballer, Arteta began in Barcelona's famed academy setup. He then had spells with Paris Saint-Germain, Rangers, Real Sociedad and Everton before moving to north London in 2011. He spent five years playing under Wenger at Arsenal.
After bringing his playing career to an end, the Basque coach joined Guardiola at Manchester City and became part of the backroom team at the Etihad Stadium. That gave him another elite mentor in the North West of England.
Arteta has won the FA Cup and Premier League title
Arteta decided he was ready to take charge on his own when Arsenal returned for him late in 2019. FA Cup and Community Shield success kept a demanding fan base satisfied for a period, but three straight second-place finishes in the Premier League led to doubts over whether the biggest prizes could really be won.
Those critics were answered emphatically last season as Arsenal lifted their first domestic title since the legendary 'Invincibles' side of 2003-04. There are now suggestions that Arteta can create another Wenger-style dynasty, matching the longevity of his former manager while also delivering a historic first Champions League triumph.
How is Arteta similar to Wenger and Guardiola?
Arteta looks capable of fulfilling that brief after learning from two of the finest minds in the game. Asked whether he sees similarities between the way Arteta builds a side and the methods once used by Wenger and Guardiola, Stack told GOAL: "At times, yes, definitely. I would say that having worked with Arsene, obviously, and I've actually coached against Mikel Arteta.
"I was first-team coach of a Watford team in the Premier League with Hayden Mullins and we had to go to the Emirates during COVID and win to give ourselves a chance to stay up. We got beat 3-2 on the day. So we kind of had a bit of an insight behind the scenes of him, sort of studied the way he sets his teams up and stuff.
"He's an excellent manager. Absolutely. He's brilliant. I think one thing that stands out for me is the way he's built relationships with the players, the way he's improved players. But also, I don't see him as someone that would take any prisoners. I think if people start upsetting the dynamics of the group and the journey and the sort of alignment within the group, I think he'll be very strict on that. I think he'll get removed and I think he'll make changes. I don't see him as someone who's scared to make big decisions. And I like that about him, I really do. Similar to Arsene, to be fair. Arsene was a bit the same.
"But, I think you look at how many games are being played now. We rotated squads a little bit when I was there but generally speaking, every big game, every must-win game, you were thinking between 13 players to start a Premier League game. Now, that changes quite a lot with full-backs, wide players, midfielders. The forward changes, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, that's it. They were going to play week in, week out, full stop. I think that's slightly changed a little bit now with players being rested and stuff like that.
"We only really changed the team, whether it be for early stages of the FA Cup or League Cup, for example. If we'd qualified for the Champions League and it was the last group game, then we'd make changes. But generally speaking, I think clubs have got bigger squads. They're able to change their squads around more than what we were when I was playing."
Arsenal refining squad in transfer window
Arteta is currently working on reshaping his Arsenal squad ahead of the 2026-27 season. There have already been exits from the Emirates, and more are expected to follow. New signings are set to address any weak areas, with the Gunners moving closer to a deal for Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
They are also being linked with Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior. That move may be slightly ambitious, but the speculation underlines the level of market Arsenal are now operating in. Arteta has played a major role in taking them there, with patience in north London now paying off as a former star pupil embraces the role of a trophy-hunting head teacher.
