Brentford boss Keith Andrews has praised Mikel Arteta’s well-rounded approach to coaching, admitting he admires the Arsenal boss.
After a tough week involving games against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea, Arsenal are straight back into action this Wednesday with a match at home to Brentford.
Speaking ahead of the match, Brentford boss Keith Andrews discussed the managerial style of his opposition counterpart, praising Mikel Arteta for his work in all aspects of the game.
“I certainly respect every phase of the game and try and pay attention to every aspect of it,” Andrews began.
“Some weeks you can’t get as much in as you would like, naturally because of the time on the grass and the time constraints, and you have to focus and prioritise certain areas of each particular game.
“But I do feel he is a coach that isn’t just obsessed with what they do with the ball. Very, very good without the ball. Set pieces have obviously been a huge part of their culture over the last few seasons. A lot of admiration for the way he sets his team up.”
Brentford have perhaps lacked a bit of that consistency in and out of possession this season. Though they’ve shown some encouraging signs at the back, their attacking play has been very much propped up by an incredible start to the campaign by Igor Thiago.
Thiago’s tally of 11 Premier League goals is only bettered by Erling Haaland, and he’s the only player in the division to have scored more than half of his team’s goals this season. Thiago is definitely the player Arsenal will need to keep quiet on Wednesday night.
But if you’re looking to get a result against Arsenal, a strong defensive basis and an in-form striker might be one of the top ways to do it.
Arsenal’s best chance of taking all three points on Wednesday is probably to score an early goal and test Brentford’s ability to create. The longer it remains 0-0, the more frustrating the evening might turn out to be.