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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been named the Premier League Manager of the Month for August following his side's outstanding start to the campaign.
The Gunners won their first five games of the season following a busy summer of transfer activity, with new signings Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko impressing.
Arteta's side currently sit at the top of the table despite losing their most recent Premier League encounter 3-1 to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Next up for the Gunners is a London derby against Brentford (September 18), as they visit a ground where they lost 3-0 on the opening day of last season.
The Spanish boss has now won the award for the third time in his relatively short career after his side scored 13 goals in their opening five games. However, supporters are now concerned that the infamous 'Manager of the Month' curse may strike this weekend.
The last time Arteta won the award in March this year, his team lost 3-0 to Crystal Palace three days later, which sparked a dramatic downturn in form. Following the Premier League's announcement for Manager of the Month, Arsenal fans took to Twitter to express their concern for their clash with Brentford on Sunday.
Here are some of the reactions:
Ben White compares Arsenal's start to this season to the previous campaign
In contrast to this season, the north London club began with three consecutive defeats last term as they sat bottom of the table.White was subject to plenty of criticism for the defeats.
However, he has started every game this season at right-back, where he has excelled. When asked to compare the two contrasting starts, the England defender told Arsenal's official website:
“A lot as a person; I think more as a person than a player. When you come to such a big club like this, there's a lot more to it than you'd think. As a player, I’ve become more confident and been showing the confidence put in me, and trying to perform to the level that the manager wants every week is something that I'm looking forward to."
“This season has been very different. There's a lot more togetherness, and the way we train is completely different. What we do off the pitch, the attitude and the spirit that we're all together is completely different."
Speaking on the scrutiny he faced after joining Arsenal last season, White added:
"For me personally, it was a tough start when I first joined. I played in the Brentford game and didn't have a good game. I was getting battered by every person in the media and it's rubbish to hear that."
