Mikel Arteta's reminder to Arsenal players after furious training ground spat
Mikel Arteta has stamped his authority on Arsenal in more ways than one since returning to his former club as head coach back in 2019.
Now approaching his four-year anniversary in the hotseat, Arteta - whose role has now changed to manager - has implemented the same attractive, attacking brand of football that became synonymous with the club during Arsene Wenger's legendary tenure.
The Spaniard's commitment to those principles have been unrelenting - even when his job was on the line back in 2021. He has adopted a similar approach off the field, too, when it comes to handling player discipline.
A number of players have been bombed out of the club after falling foul of Arteta's standards. Former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubayemang and Mesut Ozil are the first two names who come to mind, but Matteo Guendouzi was another who was ostracised by Arteta.
The young French midfielder became embroiled in a row with Arteta back in 2020 during a warm weather training camp in Dubai; deciding how to handle the situation was one of Arteta's first big tests as a head coach.
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Guezdouzi was subsequently dropped but was given a chance to salvage his Arsenal career by Arteta before ties were cut for good in 2022. Speaking at the time, Arteta explained the reasons behind his decision to banish Guendouzi - comments which would go on to act as a warning to other players at the club about Arteta's expectations.
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Matteo Guendouzi was ostracised by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta before his move to Marseille (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)He said of the incident: "It was about the way we train, the way we play, the way we live. I want the best players for the game and I select them in relation to what I see on a daily basis.
"I just make my team selection and the squad is selected in regards to how they play, how they train and how they behave. Every week it will be different. One week it will be on reason, another week it will be another reason."
He added: "I don't want people hiding. I want people taking responsibility for the job. Anybody that doesn’t buy into this is not good enough for this environment or culture. The players have to accept a different process, a different way of thinking. If we don’t have the right culture the tree is going to shake."
While Arteta's decision to adopt a similar stance following bust-ups with Ozil and Aubameyang divided opinions at the time, his no-nonsense hardline approach has been imperative in Arsenal's renaissance.
After years of looking on at the Premier League summit enviously, the Gunners are once again bonafide title contenders thanks to Arteta. Will their recent ascent culminate in them ending Manchester City's domestic monopoly in May? Who knows. But they're back where they belong because of Arteta and his non-negotiables.
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