Cesc Fabregas has hailed Mikel Arteta for changing ‘everything’ at Arsenal as the former Gunner shed light on how Arteta has made the team title favourites.
Arsenal strengthened their push for Premier League glory once again as they edged to a 3-2 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.
The win sees Arsenal go five points clear at the top of the table, and they have a game in hand on second-placed Manchester City.
The bookies are beginning to view Arsenal as favourites to win the league and more and more believe they can go all the way.
It’s a far cry from the early days under Arteta’s management with Arsenal finishing eighth in the Spaniard’s first full season in charge.
Missing out on a top-four finish to Tottenham last term was a huge setback but this season has seen them go from strength to strength.
A lot of that is down to Arteta, says Fabregas, who gave fascinating insight into what the manager has done to change the culture of the club.
“He’s done a fantastic job,” Fabregas told Sky Sports. “We saw in the documentary they did; the way he pushed players, the way he understands players.
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“We were talking before about the project; Arsenal when they hired Mikel he hadn’t coached anyone before, he was the assistant to Pep [Guardiola]… when you’re the main guy you need to do everything.
“I was lucky enough to be at the training ground recently, it felt like I was never there before because everything changed so much.
“The manager of the training ground told me it’s 95 per cent Mikel, who’s changed the whole thing.
“He’s changed everything. The perception of the club over the last few years, a lot of positive messages around the training ground, much bigger facilities, better equipment, the pitches, you name it.
“I think as well at the entrance you have a symbol of an empty Premier League trophy and he wants to show the message ‘guys, we just need to put it in there.’
“Every day the players go in there, they see it without it only being the symbol so it’s like a message and inspiration every day to go there and prove yourself that you want to put the Premier League there.
“He’s changed the mentality of the club since Arsene [Wenger] left and it’s fantastic what he’s done.”
Having racked up 50 points from their 19 league matches, Arteta’s men are doing better than the last Arsenal side to win the Premier League – Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles, who only had 45 points at the same stage of the 2003/04 season.
However, Gary Neville still isn’t convinced they’ll be lifting the trophy at the end of the season.
“I don’t see them going on to win the league,” Neville told Sky Sports. “I think Manchester City will win the league because I think Manchester City have got a special run in them.
“I think at a point in the season Arsenal will lose one or two matches and City will be right on their shoulders and it will become very difficult for them.
“But they could win the league and to say that they could; I thought they’d be nowhere near winning the league, Arsenal. I can’t believe they’re in the chat. The fact that they are in the chat for winning the league is incredible.
“It’s not a negative thing for me to say I think City will win the league – we all said that at the start of the season – and I think City will hunt them down.
“But they’re in with a shout and that’s unbelievable for Mikel Arteta. I was really worried about him at the end of last season.”