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The 42-year-old coach, who completed his fifth anniversary as The Gunners manager on December 20, revealed that he was focused on the present and was intent on getting the best out of his players at the London club.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (AP)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has claimed he is focused on the present rather than his long-term future at the club. Arteta completed his fifth anniversary as The Gunners manager on December 20. In his five years in charge, the Spaniard transformed the English side, establishing them as Premier League contenders. On his anniversary, Arteta was asked if he saw himself managing Arsenal for another five years. The 42-year-old coach responded saying he wanted to live in the present. “No. I mean, I think you have to live in the present in this job,” he said, as per multiple outlets.
Arteta explained how everyone should be focused on putting their energy into the present and making better decisions. “Obviously you have to plan for what’s coming in the mid-term and long-term, that’s for sure, and we have a lot of conversations regarding that. But I think the energy has to be in the moment, paying attention to every detail and understanding how things are working, putting more processes in place to make better decisions, and always having that aim to keep everybody in this fit, to get the best out of them, and make sure they feel part of what they do,” he said.
Speaking further, Arteta added that ‘it was impossible’ for him to envision himself managing a different Premier League team in the future. Despite his success, the Spaniard claimed he is focused on helping Arsenal become one of Europe’s best teams.
Arsenal appointed Arteta as head coach in December 2019. The Spaniard was brought in midseason to replace Unai Emery. The Gunners finished in eighth place in Arteta’s first season as coach. He made an instant impact by guiding the side to two trophies that season including the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield. In his third full season as coach, he led Arsenal to second place in the Premier League after a stiff race with Manchester City. The title race was even closer in the 2023/24 season with Arsenal finishing just two points below the Pep Guardiola-coached side.
Arsenal currently sit in third place on the 2024/25 Premier League table with 30 points. They haven’t lost a single game in their last five league matches and will be looking to extend that run against Crystal Palace on December 21.
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