Mikel Arteta has been named the Premier League’s manager of the month for March after taking Arsenal into the driving seat for the fourth and final Champions League spot. Arsenal, who are three points clear of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in fourth with a game in hand, won three and lost one of their March fixtures.
Impressive wins away over Watford at the beginning of the month and Aston Villa at the end were split by a convincing win at the Emirates over Leicester City and a defeat at home to title chasing Liverpool. Arsenal scored six goals across the month, conceding four. Speaking after the announcement of his second such award this season, Arteta said that he was proud to have won it and credited the other staff members at the club for the success.
‘It is a privilege to win it with the managers and with the level we have in this league,’ he said. I want to thank everybody at the club for the support that they give and their contribution because it is something that is a consequence of winning football matches that everybody is giving their best to do.’
The award marks Arteta as the first Arsenal manager since Arsene Wenger in 2007/08 to claim the award on two occasions in the same campaign. Meanwhile, speaking ahead of his side’s crucial trip to Crystal Palace on Monday Arteta cited the togetherness in his squad as being crucial for their recent run of good form.
‘For me it’s crucial because it’s the platform and the cement that you can build on,’ he said. Before adding: ‘Then obviously you need the players, you need the quality, the understanding. You need the club and the supporters to be on board with what you are doing, to support it, encourage it. This is what we try to do.’
Asked about how he expects his players to react following their return from international duty and a decisive next few weeks that will decide the top four race, Arteta challenged them to hit the ground running. ‘I will have them all in today, just try to refocus them, obviously. When they’re on international duty all the time they’re being asked to do different things, different roles, different kind of pressures,’ he said.
‘For some of them, it was their first international, so emotionally for them as well it’s very draining. We’ll make sure that everyone is fine and looking forward to the challenge that we have ahead.’ Arsenal will be hopeful of Japanese right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu making a return after a spell on the sidelines.
‘I think it will be close. He’s been training more and more. He has the boys back now, so he will be joining some sessions this week, and let’s see how it is,’ the manager said of the fullback’s potential return to action.
Source: Dailymail
