Mikel Arteta admits to being 'too focused on tactics' in early days as Arsenal manager - 'How important is the emotional part?'
By Will Conroy
Published 10/02/2026 at 12:35 GMT
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Mikel Arteta says that he focused too much on tactics during the early stages of his managerial tenure at Arsenal, underestimating the emotional side of the game. Speaking to TNT Sports, the former midfielder also discussed what it was like working under Pep Guardiola, describing the Manchester City head coach as the "best in history." Watch Brentford v Arsenal live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Arteta opens up on his biggest mistakes as Arsenal manager
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mikel Arteta has said that he focused too much on tactics during the early stages of his managerial tenure at Arsenal, while underestimating the importance of emotional support for the players.
The 43-year-old has been in charge at Emirates Stadium for more than six years, having been appointed manager in 2019, three years after he finished his playing career at the club.
They finished eighth in the Premier League in the Spaniard’s first season but are favourites to lift the title this time around after three consecutive second-place finishes.
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And, speaking to Sunday League manager Alex Lodge in TNT Sports’ latest episode of Connected ahead of Thursday's clash with Brentford, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, Arteta claimed he has made "a lot" mistakes on the way.
"One [is] where you put the focus sometimes," Arteta said. "Especially in the beginning, the focus was too much on the tactical aspect, and that means maybe you overload them with information.
"And then, how important is the emotional part? When a player is not executing, why is he not executing?
"He's not capable of doing it, you're asking him to do something he cannot do, or he has certain fears or doubts or not enough clarity about why he is doing certain things.
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Arteta reveals what he learned from Wenger at Arsenal
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Providing that to a player is the most important thing. When you connect and understand how the player reacts better to your demands, that's when you touch the right buttons."
A key characteristic at Arsenal that has developed during Arteta’s time in charge is their strength at set-pieces, notably in attack.
They have the joint-most goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season, alongside Chelsea, and when excluding penalties, The Gunners have two more than any other side in the division.
A key figure behind the success is set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, whom Arteta introduced to Manchester City while assistant to Pep Guardiola before bringing him to Arsenal in 2021.
Arteta acknowledges the need to have various "experts" such as Jover within his coaching team, particularly for things like set-pieces, which he says are "very important."
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Image credit: Getty Images
The Arsenal boss added: "Eight or nine years ago, when I brought Nico to Man City with an idea, it was to fulfil something to be part of something, because you can not isolate the game on open play or restarts or set-pieces or direct play, everything is too connected.
"It’s too connected in the way you prepare that, so you need all the coaches to buy into that, the players to buy into that, the guy in the facilities to buy into that, because the process has to be so linked and then it is very volatile as well.
"But you have to have experts that are better than you in certain fields."
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Arteta spent more than three years working under Guardiola at Etihad Stadium between 2016 and 2019, before returning to north London for his first managerial role.
He was part of the coaching team for successive league titles in the 2017/18 season, when City became the only team to reach 100 points, and the 2018/19 campaign, when they beat Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool by a single point.
Arteta describes these years as "an incredible experience" working with the "best" in history, but his education from Guardiola started long before then.
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Arteta on working with 'master' Guardiola at Man City
Video credit: TNT Sports
"I learned from Pep since I was 15 when we met in Barcelona first," Arteta said. "Then I had the privilege to work with him, to experience so many incredible moments together.
"He was a master, the best in my opinion in history. Someone that has revolutionised the game and the way of understanding the game.
"Being part of that, it was just an incredible experience, and I'm very, very grateful."
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