Arsenal's first XI under Mikel Arteta and what happened to them next
football.london decided to take a look at the first starting XI that Mikel Arteta deployed during his tenure as Arsenal manager, when the Gunners played Bournemouth in December 2019
It's been almost four years since Mikel Arteta was appointed Arsenal manager and what a rollercoaster it has been since then.
Arteta replaced Unai Emery in the Emirates Stadium hotseat, winning a trophy in his debut campaign, overseeing the club's record 14th FA Cup success back in 2020. Since then, the Spaniard has also got the Gunners back into the UEFA Champions League, with their six-year hiatus from Europe's elite competition ending later this month.
But what did the first starting XI during Arteta's tenure look like and where are those 11 players now? football.london takes a closer look at the team the young coach fielded against Bournemouth on Boxing Day 2019.
Goalkeeper - Bernd Leno
Leno was one of the first few players signed by Emery after he replaced the legendary Arsene Wenger back in 2018.
The German international proved to be a reliable shot-stopper during his time in north London, establishing himself as Arteta's first-choice keeper, which caused Emiliano Martinez to leave for Aston Villa. But Leno's ball-playing ability didn't quite suit Arteta's philosophy, with current No.1 Aaron Ramsdale replacing him a little over two years ago.
Leno then decided to leave for Fulham last summer, enjoying a hugely impressive debut campaign under Marco Silva's tutelage.
Defenders - Ainsley Maitland-Niles, David Luiz, Sokratis, Bukayo Saka
Right-back Maitland-Niles enjoyed an excellent first few months when Arteta arrived.
The Hale End academy graduate was deployed as an inverted full-back, where he flourished given his ability with both feet and
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