Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta named in 3rd-place as Gabby Agbonlahor chooses best Premier League managers of the season
Gabriel Agbanlahor has ranked Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta third on the list of the best Premier League managers of the season. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery are ahead of Arteta in Agbanlahor's list.
The former Aston Villa striker rated Guardiola as number one saying (via TalkSport):
"Number one has to be Guardiola again, because the football that they play, this season they've had so many injuries."
Manchester City are currently second in the league with 82 points after 35 games. They are also alive in the FA Cup, where they will face Manchester United in the final at Wembley on May 25.
Agbanlahor ranked Emery as the second-best saying:
"[Europa Conference League] semi-final tonight (Thursday night, May 9), could get through to the final, so many injuries as well (they ended up losing the semifinal 6-2 on aggregate)."
Villa are fourth in the league standings with 67 points after 36 games.
Agbanlahor rated Arteta as the third-best, saying:
“Any other season he’d be winning the league, if it wasn’t for this juggernaut in Man City. I think they’re going to be fighting it out now for a few seasons, City and Arsenal. They’ve been outstanding Arsenal this season.”
Arsenal are currently at the top of the Premier League standings with 83 points after 36 games.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal came second in the league last season
Arsenal has found a resurgence in the Premier League under Mikel Arteta. Since taking over midway in 2019, Arteta guided the Gunners to an FA Cup triumph in his first season.
Arsenal finished eighth in his first half-season. They finished eighth again in the 2020-21 season and came fifth in the 2021-22 campaign. Improvements continued as the Gunners led the Premier League table for the majority of the 2022-23 season but faltered against Manchester City in the final weeks to finish second in the table.
Arsenal are once again within touching distance of a Premier League title triumph. They have two games left against Manchester United and Everton. Manchester City, who are one point behind them with one game in hand are yet to play Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United.