Who still doubts Arteta's talent?

There is a rather interesting paradox about Mikel Arteta. He is helping Arsenal get closer to winning the Premier League or even achieving a quadruple. He has built a resilient, courageous collective, a distinctive playing style, and a stable system.

But this question still occasionally arises: Is the 44-year-old manager truly skilled? That seems to be a prejudice. When Arteta took over the team in 2019, The Gunners were not a proper team, lacking direction, core values, confidence, structure, and of course, trophies.

Their seasons often fell into chaos, disorganization, weakness, and disrespect. It was a team that could explode on a good day but could also be utterly defeated right after.

Sir Alex Ferguson's classic philosophy is that scoring goals wins games, but defense wins championships. The Spanish manager also began addressing the issue from the most basic foundation: the defensive system.

So far, The Gunners possess the best defensive record in both the Premier League and the Champions League this season. Astonishingly, they have conceded an average of only 19.2 predicted goals in England, 8.4 fewer than Newcastle, who rank second in this metric.

On the old continent, Arteta's team has conceded only 4 goals in 8 matches. Saliba and Gabriel are the center-back pairing that any champion needs, like Vidic-Ferdinand of Man United, like Terry-Carvalho of Chelsea in the past. They are the ones who make opponents give up.

The midfield then became the core of the entire system. Building the "brain" took time but was perfected last summer with the arrival of Zubimendi. A midfield capable of doing everything simultaneously: pressing, defending, attacking, and controlling the game's tempo. The result of all these changes is a team that knows exactly how it wants to play.

Arteta's Arsenal no longer relies on spontaneous moments. They can control matches through possession time, create chances through short combinations in midfield, or exert pressure with high-intensity pressing. When needed, they can also finish matches with meticulously organized set-piece situations.

More importantly, they have learned how to win in imperfect matches. Ugly wins are now executed so smoothly that they become points of attack for opponents. But it is a sign that the team has matured strongly. Arsenal does not create trends, but their ability to adapt and turn the changes in English football this season into an advantage for them. This is the most distinct difference between Arteta and Pep and Arne Slot so far.

Therefore, the debate about Arteta needs to be reframed differently. It's not about whether he has proven himself sufficiently skilled. Because in reality, the rebuilding process of Arsenal has clearly shown that. And if the London capital team wins multiple trophies this season, the question about Arteta's capability will vanish on its own. Not because people stop debating. But because the results on the field speak for themselves.