From the moment Arsenal managers were photographed leaving secret meetings at Mikel Arteta’s Manchester home in the dead of night in December 2019, the assumption in the football world was that they were targeting a manager who was a younger version of Pep Guardiola.
Arteta, like Guardiola, trained in Barcelona. And of course, he had been working as assistant to Manchester City’s manager for the last three years. If anyone could emulate Guardiola’s approach, it was Arteta.
In many ways, these assumptions have been proven correct. Over the years, Arteta has built an Arsenal team that plays a similar style to City. Possession-based build-up, inverted full-backs, false nines: tactically it is not difficult to see that Arteta and Guardiola have received the same training.
But Arteta is not just a Guardiola clone and those close to him reject any suggestion that he is trying to emulate his mentor. The Arsenal manager has other influences in football and other sports, and it can be said that he is as much influenced by fellow Premier League champion Jurgen Klopp as he is by his former boss.
Of course, it would be wrong to say that Arteta’s relationship with Klopp is similar to his bond with Guardiola. In November 2021, the two managers clashed violently on the touchline at Anfield. They have not always seemed on friendly terms and it probably won’t be so when they meet at the Emirates on Sunday.
But Arteta’s respect and admiration for his counterpart is clear and there are clear similarities between Arsenal’s development in recent years and Liverpool’s re-emergence as a real force under Klopp.
Arteta’s approach on the field is still close to Guardiolaism. But in a wider cultural sense, there is much more than Klopp to the way the Spaniard has taken control of Arsenal and transformed it into something new.
Asked what he has learned from Klopp this week, Arteta said: “A lot of things. Especially the identity that his team has, the identity that the club has. That’s very clear. He’s someone who is very determined to put his stamp on the whole club. It’s very clear that the team has a team, wherever it is.” They have intentions and behaviors. [each player] playing. I love this.”
When considering Arteta’s impact at Arsenal, two of the first words that come to mind are “identity” and “stamp”. Unlike his predecessor Unai Emery, and much like Klopp, Arteta has rebuilt Arsenal in his own image. He is not just the head coach of the first team, he leads the entire culture of the organization, being involved in decisions that go far beyond team selection.
Three examples. When Arsenal considered expanding their medical department, it was Arteta who opposed it. Arteta was part of the process when Jack Wilshere interviewed for the role of academy coach. When Arteta felt his training ground would benefit from the presence of a dog, it was he who chose Win, the chocolate labrador who arrived in North London a year ago. His role is all-encompassing. His power is tremendous.
Similarly, Klopp recommended Liverpool leave Melwood, their former training ground, for their new base in Kirkby. These guys aren’t just coaches playing a single role within the organization. They are the heartbeat of their club.
One of Klopp’s greatest achievements at Liverpool was arming the Anfield fans. He challenged the home fans, even provoking them at times, and in doing so created a strong sense of unity. Arteta has worked hard to do the same and Emirates has been transformed as a result.
For example, it was Arteta who pushed for a new pre-match anthem to be played before kick-off of every home game. Louis Dunford’s “Angel” has become Arsenal’s own version of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, although it doesn’t currently hold the same emotional significance or historical power.
There are similarities in their teams, too. Klopp’s most devastating striker? Mohamed Salah is a left-footed winger who plays on the right wing. Arteta’s most devastating striker? Bukayo Saka is a left-footed winger who plays on the right wing.
Klopp’s attack was proving successful thanks to Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino, who was better at creating goals than scoring goals. Gabriel Jesus now plays the same role at Arsenal. At the back, Klopp has built on the foundations provided by the massive Virgil van Dijk. Arteta is now building from William Saliba.
Most importantly, both Arteta and Klopp are coaches who use emotions. Klopp tapped into and channeled the emotional power of Anfield, Liverpool and the club’s stance. Arteta has embraced Arsenal’s history, strengthened his connection with the fanbase and injected the same passion as he strives to achieve similar victories.
The quality of football at City and the neatness of the organization were at an almost scientific level under Guardiola. Precise, clean, controlled. Klopp’s Liverpool were more chaotic, rougher around the edges; Arteta’s Arsenal were generally the same.
Will the situation remain like this? Maybe not. Arteta is slowly moving his team away from danger and towards control. But to watch Arsenal play and see how they operate as a club is to feel echoes of Klopp’s Liverpool as well as Guardiola’s City.