Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta compared to Thierry Henry as rivals told big reason for Gunners success

Mikel Arteta has a Thierry Henry-like ‘aura’ which has helped Arsenal transform into Premier League title challengers, according to a boyhood Gunner who represented the club 70 times.

Arteta, along with Arsenal chief Edu, has slowly gotten the club back into contention for major silverware. The pair have worked hard to get rid of the dead wood in the squad and bring in a host of top talent such as Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and William Saliba.

Arsenal struggled in the wake of Arsene Wenger’s departure from the club and fell to as low as eighth in the table during Arteta’s first two seasons in charge.

But the Emirates hierarchy kept faith in the project and everyone at Arsenal is now reaping the rewards. Arteta’s men have pushed Manchester City hard for the title in the last two seasons and are confident that they can win the coveted trophy this time around.

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Arsenal currently sit fourth in the table, having won two and drawn one out of three matches so far.

Carl Jenkinson, who supported Arsenal growing up and was on their books between July 2011 and August 2019, has now given his exciting verdict on Arteta.

During an appearance on talkSPORT, Jenkinson was asked if he could see Arteta becoming a manager in the future when the two were playing together at Arsenal. The former right-back replied: “Yeah, Arteta has an aura you can’t manufacture if you know what I mean.

“The way he speaks and when he walks in the room and talks, you listen.

Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta has ‘aura’

“Obviously he has the football knowledge to go along with it, but that’s something you can’t sort of teach.”

Jenkinson added: “He just had that aura. I haven’t met many people with that.

“Thierry Henry would probably be the only other one I would say was similar. But Mikel just had that. If he spoke, you listened.”

Arteta has a brilliant reputation in the game, having worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City before taking the top Arsenal job.

When asked about Arsenal’s recent rise last year, Guardiola said: “I think the development of the club since he [Arteta] took over is obvious, it is the reality. I don’t have to change what I think.

“When you talk about the work of a football manager, I am a trainer, not a manager. I have the feeling Mikel changed the structure of the club. He changed a lot of players.

“He has been supported by the hierarchy of the club and that is why the success is there.

“Arsenal in the last years never was there and this season make another step because all season has been there. I have been impressed, they have been really good.”

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