Mikel Arteta’s ruthlessness has contributed to his success at the Emirates Stadium, as his project grows season after season. By the time Arteta took over at Arsenal near the end of 2019, the club appeared to have lost its passion, style, and, to some extent, DNA.
Some Gooners couldn’t recognise their club, so something had to change.
Sporting Director Edu and Arsenal’s management wanted someone who could help the club regain its DNA while also embracing new ideas.
They opted to take a chance on Mikel Arteta, who was then Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City and had never been a head coach before. Arteta boldly took over the Emirates Stadium to steady Arsenal, unfazed by the task or questions about him.
He has consistently shown his ruthlessness since joining Arsenal. His determination has laid the groundwork for his project to succeed. Many of his decisions have helped Arsenal become what it is today, and here are my top three ruthless decisions he made:
● Dropping Mesut Ozil and Aubameyang. Most coaches would have loved to have the two on their team; they were proven game changers, but Arteta would have none of it. To him, everyone is equal, and if you make a mistake, whether you’re a superstar or not, you face the consequences — a tough principle that saw the two leave, even if it left some fans disappointed.
● Dropping Ramsdale. Ramsdale is not a terrible goalkeeper; he’s one of the finest. Even though he lost his place in Arsenal’s starting lineup, many fans still regard him as the next England No. 1. Many fans didn’t understand why Mikel Arteta dropped him early last season after he nearly won the 2022–23 league title months before. Some of us sympathised with Ramsdake, but in the end, David Raya’s superior goalkeeping, keeping 16 Premier League clean sheets and surrendering less than 29 goals, justified the brutal decision to sideline the Englishman.
