Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta becomes fifth-fastest manager to reach 100 Premier League wins
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta became the fifth-fastest manager to achieve 100 wins in the Premier League — 169 matches — as the Gunners defeated Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 in the North London derby on Sunday (April 28).
The three fastest managers to reach 100 Premier League wins are Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, and Jurgen Klopp, who achieved the feat after 134, 142, and 159 games, respectively. Arteta is also preceded by Sir Alex Fergusson, who achieved the number in 162 outings.
Mikel Arteta has also become the fastest Arsenal manager to reach 100 Premier League wins, beating former coach Arsenal Wenger, who is now sixth on the list.
The Gunners are at the top of the league table with 80 points, following their victory in the North London derby. Fellow title contenders Manchester City are only one point behind them, with one game less played.
Pep Guardiola's side could surpass the North London club to climb to the top if they win against the Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, May 4. Arsenal gear up to face AFC Bournemouth on the same day.
Mikel Arteta calls Arsenal's 3-2 win over Spurs an 'emotional game'
Following Arsenal's 3-2 win against Spurs in an away fixture on Sunday (April 28), boss Mikel Arteta called it a "really emotional game." The Spurs were on the verge of making a comeback after Heung-Min Son converted a penalty in the 87th minute. However, the Gunners held their lead.
Speaking after the match, Arteta compared the current season with the club's run at the Premier League last season. Last season, the Gunners were initially eight points ahead of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. However, they lost points towards the end and finished second to City after a 4-0 loss against them.
"We have proved we can handle this stage of the season better than last year. When you win it’s always the case. Last season we didn’t, because we went to West Ham and we missed a penalty, and against Liverpool we conceded in the 91st minute and then you’re not capable. At the end the judgement is going to be based on that outcome. If they got the goal in the last minute to make it 3-3 then we wouldn’t have been ready," Arteta said (via The Mirror).
The coach is expecting his club to "have a real go" at the title this time. It remains to be seen whether the Gunners can win the title, as it will also depend on Manchester City's next game against the Wolves on May 4.