Mikel Arteta has solved Arsenal problem that Alan Shearer first spotted

Mikel Arteta has slowly but surely turned Arsenal's luck around since becoming manager in 2019, and Arsenal are now serious contenders for the Premier League title.

However, when Arteta first took over from Unai Emery, the club was in a bit of a mess. It took him a while to start making improvements, and there were rumours his job was at risk before Arsenal won the FA Cup in 2020.

Since then, Arsenal have been getting better and better with a completely new team, full of young, exciting players leading the way. Arteta has had to make some tough decisions to get here — just ask Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Both players weren't performing well despite their high wages, and both were shown the door without much ceremony. Before Ozil left, famous pundit Alan Shearer pointed out how the German player's expensive contract had become a big problem for Arsenal.

And the former Newcastle player pointed out Arteta needed to get both players out of the club in order for results to come.

«I'm sure he [Mikel Arteta] knew it already, but he knows he has got a big, big, difficult job on his hands,» Shearer said during an episode of Match of the Day back in 2020.

«One to get results, and two to get players out of that football club who he needs to. When you look at the Aubameyang situation with his contract, I don't see him signing a contract there, I don't.

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»And there's no way they can give him that. It was a huge mistake to give Mesut Ozil that salary. He can't even get into the team when they're going to Brighton. It's one thing at Manchester City, but when you're