"He was like a father to me" - Mikel Arteta makes Mauricio Pochettino claim ahead of Arsenal vs Chelsea PL clash
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta discussed Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the two sides' meeting at the Emirates on Tuesday. Arteta shared insights into his relationship with the Blues boss, noting how they met at Paris Saint-Germain.
Arteta was still a youngster when he played with the French giants, where Pochettino was a more senior player. The duo ended up building a long-term friendship that has grown and evolved over the years.
Arteta was asked about their relationship and how influential his Chelsea counterpart had been in his own career, and the Arsenal manager said (via GOAL):
"For sure. One of the most, I would say. I was 17 or 18 years old in Paris, I was thrown into Paris and it was in January, I think, with no experience of professional football, and he doesn’t like me saying it, but he was like a father to me."
Arteta continued:
“He took me under his arm; he gave me incredible advice; he really helped me; he inspired me, and I learned so much from our two years there together and, from there, we maintained that relationship."
The Gunners boss also talked about Pochettino as a role model:
"I knew he was going to be a coach, I admire him a lot for what he’s done in his career and he’s always someone that I look to because he was really impactful for me probably at the most important stage of my professional career.
"It was the beginning and it was one as a role model that I could not pick anybody better than him.”
Chelsea lose 5-0 to Arsenal
Chelsea were clearly the worse side as they lost 5-0 to table-toppers Arsenal. The Gunners have been in strong form since their loss against Bayern Munich and Aston Villa, and they have come back rejuvenated, beating Wolves 2-0 before dismantling the Blues.
It was truly an embarrassing situation for the visitors, who may have been expected to lose the game, but not by so much. The Gunners started off early with Leandro Trossard finishing at the near post with just four minutes on the clock.
Chelsea held on for the rest of the first half, but the game began to move away from them in the second. Ben White scored after a loose ball fell luckily for him, and before the hour mark, former Blues man Kai Havertz made it 3-0.
Both Havertz and White got on the scoresheet again, as they scored in the 65th and 70th minute respectively, before Arsenal saw off the game with a clean sheet.