Soccer
Mikel Arteta during the press conference after the match PSV Arsenal at the Philips stadium for the UEFA Champions League. [Photo Credit/ Imago].
Arsenal are currently top of the English Premier League under Mikel Arteta, six points above Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, Soccernet.ng reports.
One of the coach’s teammates during his playing days, Jay-Jay Okocha, has admitted it’s no surprise that the Spaniard has gone on to do good things in the English top-flight.
The pair played 31 games together at Paris Saint-Germain from 2001 to 2002, before Okocha joined Bolton.
Arteta went on to play for Rangers, Everton, Real Sociedad, and Arsenal before hanging up his boots in 2016. The Spaniard then worked as an assistant manager with Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.
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Soccer Okocha: Nigerian legend backs Arsenal to win EPL under Arteta
Quizzed about how the Arsenal manager was as a young footballer, Okocha mentioned Arteta’s path to management has always been evident.
“He is special, because he came when he was 18 and I’ve never seen an 18-year-old so confident, wanting to dominate games at that young age, so it didn’t take him long to settle down,” the 52-year-old said on the Clutch 9 Podcast.
“So, we all noticed him immediately and knew that he got something special. He came at the same time as Pochettino, Heinze, and we had such a good team.
“The atmosphere in the dressing room was special because we had the Africans, the Spanish and the French. It was just all of us trying to speak our broken French.
Arteta was appointed as Arsenal’s coach in December 2019, taking over from Unai Emery, and has transformed the team from Europa League regulars to Premier League contenders.
“I wasn’t surprised he became a manager because from what I saw then, his football IQ, personality, is still what we’re seeing now, because he’s gone on to develop himself and also became a coach after he retired,” Okocha continued.
“He’s done a good job at Arsenal; we can see the progress since he took over. I know that the fans’ expectations are so high, they’re never patient, but we can see that he’s built his own team.
“He’s been challenging for the title, and I think it’s the right time for him to win the Premier League.
Quizzed if the Gunners can go on to win the English Premier League this season, Okocha backed his ex-teammate all the way.
“I think so. He’s got the best squad in the League, if not in Europe, so it’s theirs to lose.
“I think he could do more [more than winning the EPL]. In football, you’ve got the chance to win every trophy as long as you’re in the race.
“Who would think that you can’t win more than one, but let’s start with one first,” the ex-Frankfurt midfielder concluded.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are still gunning on all fronts for titles this season, and expectations are high, especially after the club has given him a standard financial backing in terms of transfers.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz.
With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
His portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he’s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.
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