The Spanish captain has brought significant progress to the Gunners after sitting in the hot seat at the Emirates.
Since becoming Gunners coach in 2019, the Spanish captain has had a total of 8 confrontations with Man United, winning 5 and losing only 2 matches.
During that journey, Arteta’s army also had many memorable encounters. Below are three matches that can be considered Arsenal’s best under the Mikel Arteta era.
Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal (November 2020)
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and declining form, Arsenal marched to Old Trafford in desperate need of a victory. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s second-half penalty secured Mikel Arteta’s second win over Man United and the first time the Gunners have beaten the Red Devils at Old Trafford since 2006.
This is certainly not an excellent performance from the North London representative, but at least it is a relief in the context of coach Mikel Arteta’s ability being doubted.
The outstanding performance of midfield duo Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey at that time helped Arsenal to victory, which in turn showed glimpses of the great system that Mikel Arteta has built at the club during its early years to the Emirates.
Arsenal 3-2 Man Utd (January 2023)
With Arsenal leading the Premier League race at the time, their dramatic victory over Man United at Emirates Stadium helped them once again consolidate their advantage.
The Gunners spent 90 breathtaking minutes at the Emirates, the two teams held each other 2-2 and seemed to have to split the points. However, in the final minutes, the home team found the match-winning goal thanks to Eddie Nketiah’s strike. This victory once again demonstrates the fighting spirit to the end that the Gunners’ young stars have been imbued with from the ideology conveyed by Mikel Arteta.
Some opinions also believe that the result of the recent encounter is the beginning of an increase in the gap in level between Arsenal and Man Utd under the Arteta era.
Arsenal 3-1 Man Utd (September 2023)
After a not-so-smooth start at the beginning of the current season, Arsenal has gradually returned to its original trajectory with a dramatic victory over Man United.
The Gunners were once again 1-0 down, but they soon found a goal to level the gap from captain Martin Odegaard. The turning point in the match came in stoppage time when the duo Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus took turns filling in their names on the scoreboard, helping them win all 3 points to the regret of Erik ten Hag’s team.
If January’s results weren’t enough to show the gap between the two clubs, this match is another concrete example.
Arsenal have no intention of giving up, they always find a way to make a difference until the final whistle sounds.