Petr Cech proven right three years on from Mikel Arteta Arsenal claim as Edu call speaks volumes

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech chose to back Mikel Arteta during a significant rough patch and he has more than been proven correct with his claims. During his first few months in charge, Arteta endured some difficulty in getting his methods across with that carrying over into his second season in charge when a seven-game winless run saw him very nearly lose his job.

However, three years on from that period, Arteta and Arsenal are both thriving and in their second consecutive title race. Last season, many were caught off guard by the Gunners' rapid rise to the summit, spearheaded by Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba; however, it was the latter's injury which helped derail Arsenal's pursuit.

In the summer, while welcoming the France international back, Arsenal also signed Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and David Raya. Injuries have hit hard, with Timber missing the last few months due to a knee injury and Thomas Partey missing large portions of the season, but Arsenal still look an even more well-oiled machine.

And that was perhaps something forecast by Cech, mostly known for his 11 years at Chelsea but following that he also made 139 appearances for Arsenal, with his comments from over three years ago backing Arteta, which may have seemed foolish at the time, but certainly do not look as such now.

«It's hard for any manager when results don't go your way and then you try to change the way the team play or the philosophy of the football,» Cech told talkSPORT in late 2020. «When you start to change a little bit it needs time. As well to implement that faster you have to have everybody believe in it, you need some results as well.»

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