Mikel Merino has explained why he thinks Mikel Arteta is one of the world’s best coaches, if not the best.
Speaking to the media ahead of Arsenal’s match against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, Mikel Merino explained why he believes that Mikel Arteta is one of the best coaches in the world.
“I think we are lucky, because we have one of the best, if not the best coach in the world,” Merino said. “Not only tactically, but as well in managing the dressing room.
“If you want to be a great coach you have to manage the squad the right way, and not every player is the same.
“We have different personalities, different characters, and you have to approach every player in a different way. So he is really good at that.”
For all the jokes about Arsenal’s failure to win the competition, it’s certainly impressive that this is now the fourth season in a row that the Gunners appear to be in a Premier League title race. As it stands, the team are three points clear at the top of the table.
It’s been quite some time since Arsenal were involved at the top this consistently, fighting for the title with Champions League qualification taken for granted.
The Gunners were a long way behind Manchester City and Liverpool when Arteta took over, but he’s taken his team to finishes above both teams in individual seasons. Just never both at the same time, unfortunately.
On top of that, Arsenal have got further and further in the Champions League under Arteta, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 2010, then reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2009.
The Gunners have also won two matches from two to kick off the 2025/26 campaign, with Atletico Madrid up next.
Though he already has an FA Cup and two Community Shields under his belt, some questions around Arteta’s stint at Arsenal will undoubtedly remain until he picks up a few more trophies. But as Merino suggests, it’s clear his coaching methods are at a very high standard.