Mikel Arteta's reign at Arsenal, the first managerial job of his career, has been somewhat turbulent. His first two seasons as the Gunners' boss saw the North London club finish eighth in the Premier League twice, but an FA Cup triumph over fierce rivals Chelsea bought the Spaniard time to implement his ideas at the club.
His slow start at Arsenal initially led to mocking from rival clubs, however, after winning the 2024 February Premier League Manager of the Month, many fans appear to have changed their minds.
Fans acknowledge the brilliance of Mikel Arteta
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Why Mikel Arteta won the February Manager of the Month award
Put simply, Arsenal were outstanding in the Premier League during the month of February. Four wins from four, including a crucial 3-1 victory over their title rivals Liverpool, saw the Gunners rediscover their best form.
Arteta had finally found a solution to their one flaw this season – a lack of goals – with the Spaniard finding a way to reignite his attacking players. They enjoyed a run of form which saw them concede just two goals while scoring a whopping 18.
It was a ruthless month masterminded by Arteta, and fans of all clubs couldn't resist applauding his brilliance after he won the award.
Fans applaud the brilliance of Mikel Arteta and Arsenal
A perfect month in the Premier League for the Gunners 🔴
Mikel Arteta is your @BarclaysFooty Manager of the Month 🤝#PLAwards | @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/Ms4g28jQF1
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 8, 2024
Arteta will always be someone who divides opinion off the pitch, with his antics and personality quirks making it easy for fans of other clubs to dislike and ridicule the 41-year-old. However, after receiving the Premier League Manager of the Month award for February, the vast majority of fans were keen to express their admiration for the Spaniard's on-the-pitch success.
One Chelsea fan took to X, formerly Twitter, to congratulate Arteta, while voicing their disappointment at their own team's performance, stating “Well deserved, when will my club collect something tangible again, I am just weak?”
Despite recently losing to the Gunners, one Liverpool fan was keen to praise the Arsenal attack, saying: “His side were absolute machine guns throughout the month. Well deserved!!”
While even supporters from across Europe were praising the work of Arteta, with one Real Madrid taking to social to proclaim that “Arsenal should win this league. That's the only thing they need to do to convince everyone that they are back.”
Mikel Arteta's success then is perhaps proof that it is always possible to turn doubters into believers if you work hard enough.