“I certainly admire him for that” - Sam Allardyce reveals one thing that Mikel Arteta has done well at Arsenal

Former Everton head coach Sam Allardyce has revealed why he admires Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. The Englishman has said he's drawn to the Gunners gaffer because the latter has faced all the challenges head-on at the Emirates Stadium.

"Arsenal are a good young team who seem to be improving all the time," Sam Allardyce was quoted as saying by Metro.

"Mikel Arteta has faced so many challenges in such a short time as a manager, and he’s dealt with them head-on. He’s decided that he’s going to be strong, which you have to admire; I certainly admire him for that."

"He’s had a lot of big, senior players who haven’t been pulling their weight, and personally I think he’s dealt with those situations very well."

The Englishman backed his claim by pointing to the recent saga involving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese striker was stripped of the captaincy by Mikel Arteta in December before being offloaded in January due to a disciplinary breach.

Allardyce believes the tactician sent across a great message with the way he handled the situation, showing no one is bigger than the club.

"[Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang, in particular, was the most recent example," the former Sunderland defender continued."

"That incident showed everyone at the football club that it doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter how big you think you are – if you’ve been honoured with the captain’s armband for a club like Arsenal, to disrespect that, to disrespect the manager, and to disrespect Arsenal Football Club, I can’t sympathize with how Arteta deals with you."

"He dealt with that magnificently well, because it shows the rest of the team that there’s a certain level of expectation when it comes to discipline, and if you’re not going to adhere to that, you’re gone," he added.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was kicked out this winter

How Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have fared in the Premier League so far this season

The Gunners didn't make the best of starts to their Premier League campaign this season as they lost their first three games into the term. However, they've made up for that by raising their level in recent weeks.

As it stands, the Gunners occupy sixth position in the table with 39 points, with 12 victories, three draws and seven defeats in 22 games so far. It is worth noting that Mikel Arteta's men are just two points below the top-four zone of the table, with three games in hand.