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Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has hailed his Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta for the excellent work he is doing at the Emirates.
The 52-year-old was speaking to the press ahead of a crunch north London derby on Thursday, May 12 in the Premier League. He recognized Arteta's work with the Gunners, saying (via Football London):
“We have to try to get three points on Thursday against Arsenal. It won’t be easy because we’re talking about a good, well organized team. Arteta is doing a really good job. He’s been in charge for two and a half years. He had the possibility to work, to improve his team. But at the same time to stay in this position for us, at this moment of the season, has to give us a big push to try to get three points on Thursday.''
Tottenham will host Arsenal in the 191st north London derby on Thursday and the result of the game could decide who secures the final top four spot.
A win for the visitors would guarantee them a return to the UEFA Champions League after six years.
Thursday's clash is a rescheduled matchday 22 fixture, with the Gunners having requested a postponement in January much to the chagrin of their rivals.
The Emirates outfit currently sit fourth in the table and hold a four-point advantage over Tottenham with three matches to go. Hence, this is a must-win fixture for the Lilywhites.
Can Mikel Arteta validate the progress he has made at Arsenal by finishing above Tottenham?
Mikel Arteta was appointed as Arsenal manager in December 2019. In the intervening two-and-a-half years, he has had a mixed legacy in the Emirates dugout.
An FA Cup and Community Shield triumph in the opening months of his managerial tenure was seen as a step in the right direction.
However, he managed an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League in his first full season in charge. Moreover, a shock elimination to Olympiacos in the Round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League didn't help the case either.
This saw the Emirates outfit fail to secure European qualification for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
A disastrous start to the current campaign saw many tip them for relegation as they lost three consecutive matches. However, a resurgence at the turn of the year has put the Gunners in pole position for the top four.
Mikel Arteta has constantly appealed to fans to trust the process he is overseeing at the Emirates.
A return to the UEFA Champions League at the home of their biggest rivals would certainly serve as some validation of the progress he has made.
