Ian Wright: Mikel Arteta has changed the culture at Arsenal

Not only have the Gunners won their opening Premier League fixtures but the Arsenal legend feels they are capable of extracting at least another seven points from the next three fixtures.

Fri, 19 Aug, 2022 - 23:00

John Fallon

Ian Wright is finding it difficult to temper expectations in the wake of Arsenal’s blistering start to the season.

Not only have the Gunners won their opening Premier League fixtures but the Arsenal legend feels they are capable of extracting at least another seven points from the next three fixtures.

That treble begins for Mikel Arteta’s side at Bournemouth on Saturday before they meet newly-promoted Fulham and Aston Villa.

Wright – who scored 185 goals in his 288 appearances for Arsenal, including 11 hat-tricks for them – believes the summer recruitment has been integral to maintaining their rise.

It’s seven years since the Londoners inhabited the exalted status of top-four kingpins but last year’s fifth placing was an improvement on back-to-back eight finishes.

He’s loathe to shout it from the Clock End rooftops but Wright has witnessed elements in this campaign that make for a sustained tilt at creeping further up to the Holy Grail of Champions League qualification.

“I didn’t get too excited about the wins in pre-season but what I was very excited about was the signings and the balance that the team had,” said the former England forward.

“Last year was a tough start – losing the first three matches – but we won the first two. And you would have to say with the way that Arsenal are playing and their style, it would be disappointing if they didn’t get at least six points out of the next three, maybe seven points. I don’t think they should be losing any of those games.

“Mikel is so level-headed he is not going to get carried away. He has changed the culture at the club. We have got a nice section just behind The Clock End for Ashburton Army. They just keep the singing going because it needed something. Now they have got that, with that spirit, it is going to be an exciting time.”

Snaring Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus from champions Manchester City has brought a noticeable steel to a side previously prone to caving under Arteta.

Wright added: “Zinchenko is such a great signing because he is literally playing two positions. It is amazing.

“He is there if Granit Xhaka is not playing and we have a problem and if Kieran Tierney is not playing and we have a problem. He can fill in at an elite level for either of them. It solves both of those problems by his being on the pitch.

“Yes, he was a full-back for City but he played central midfield at a very high level with Ukraine. It was good business signing him.

“Jesus has been brilliant too. What we are seeing now is the player that joined Man City and wanted to take over from Sergio Aguero.

“We are seeing flashes of ‘Wow, this guy that is really good’. He’s mentioned that he was ‘I was happy at City but just wanted to play.

“Since coming to Arsenal, he has been given a leadership role and is part of that group.

“He is leading by example. You can see his link-up play, his goal-scoring play, you know, his communication on the pitch, the way he is helping someone like Eddie Nkeita.

“You just hope they can continue to be consistent this season. Manchester City have started brilliantly but a slow one for Liverpool with the draws.

“We’re wondering what is going to happen with Chelsea and Tottenham started well against Southampton. So, I think there is somewhere for somebody to star and really see how far they can go with it.”