Former Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna has thrown his support behind Mikel Arteta, claiming the Spaniard remains the right man to lead Arsenal to their first English title in two decades.
Despite recent criticism after a faltering title challenge, Arteta’s side has bounced back with consecutive wins over Crystal Palace and Ipswich, keeping them hot on the heels of Liverpool. With two near misses in past seasons, expectations are high for Arteta to clinch domestic glory, especially as Arsenal gear up for a crucial match against Brentford to avoid further costly slip-ups.
The pressure is intensified by Arsenal’s lengthy wait for premier league supremacy, a drought extending since their last triumph 20 years ago. Arteta, commemorating five years at the helm this week, can lay claim to an FA Cup win during his tenure, yet it’s the league crown that eludes Arsenal. Sagna, an ex-Gunner with 284 caps from 2007-2014, has voiced his opinion amidst the scrutiny levelled at Arteta.
The former French international told Paddy Power he believes Arteta is still doing an amazing job – and that he deserves more appreciation. Sagna said: “We’ll never judge a manager by the results and performances over the last two weeks, no matter who it is. We have to see the full picture, and if you take that, Mikel Arteta has been doing an amazing job at Arsenal.
“People were expecting Arsenal to win every game, but in life you have expectation and reality, and everyone is competing and are playing well. It’s still clear how great of a job Mikel Arteta has done at Arsenal, from where they were when he joined to now. At the time, the club were in a rebuilding position, but they have brought in some great players and the football they are playing is much better.”
Despite praising Arteta, Sagna does admit Arsenal have a problem when it comes to killing teams off. But he has urged supporters to be more patient: “Tactically and from a quality point of view, Arsenal have the ability of beating anyone. But they have opponents who are going up against them and are doing everything they can to stop Arsenal’s momentum and to win the game.
