Mikel Arteta and Frank Lampard have been entwined throughout their careers. As players they were both in the English top flight between 2005 and 2014, as managers they have both been in charge of clubs they played for and made quite a name for themselves too.
As two bright, young coaches their emergence on the Premier League scene in 2019 was refreshing but now, in 2023, there is one that has had more success than the other. Whilst Arteta came into his job several months after Lampard was appointed at Stamford Bridge he has now managed 124 league games, 29 more than Lampard.
He is also still in his first job whereas Lampard, appointed new caretaker head coach at Stamford Bridge, is on his third. The Blues' all-time top scorer was sacked 18 months into his fairytale return as the boss but has returned at a time of need. He comes in with Chelsea 11th, lower than they were when Lampard was dismissed, whereas Arsenal are top and have the title in their own hands.
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As players they came head-to-head 13 times across both Arsenal and Everton fixtures against Chelsea with an even outcome across the games. As managers though there has been one clear winner again. Arteta has won three of the five matches in which they have been pitted on opposite sides. He hasn't lost since the first meeting in December 2019.
As well as the 2020 FA Cup final, Arteta has recorded a 3-1 an 5-1 win over Lampard as boss, with the latter coming against Everton last May. Despite this, Arteta holds great respect for his fellow coach and has said of the England great: "I have known Frank for a few years and I spent some time with him and I would like the club to support him and give him a chance." That was when things were going south at SW6 first time around.
"He has huge experience as a player, he is an icon over there and he has done some really good things. You need time, and something we have not had in this calendar year is time to work on anything. I can only talk about what I have experienced," he replied when asked if he had empathy for Lampard's situation.
Arteta has set the way for young managers and for clubs to stand by their bosses but in a season with 12 managerial dismissals, Arsenal's change has proved more successful than others, especially Chelsea. The Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital axis are now searching for their third permanent manager in 10 months.
"What I have experienced, it was full support in difficult times," Arteta said of his situation back 2021. "The work you are doing behind the scenes, the methods you apply, the values you are trying to restore at the club, and the style you are trying to implement needs the support of results.
"Fortunately if they see what you are trying to do is going to have rewards in the future, and they are a little bit patient, most of the time it pays off. If everybody is convinced we are doing things the right way. I speak with a lot of managers and some of them have been in the game for over 30 years and they say they have never experienced something like that.
"This is a new game with new rules, there are so many things we cannot control. It is out of our hands in a lot of moments. So I listen a lot to that because we tend to put on more and more pressure and demands on ourselves, and it is a very strange league this season and you can see that."
The Spaniard was also keen to ensure Lampard got the recognition once his side went on to win the Champions League but under the management of Thomas Tuchel. "I think he had the right platform," Arteta explained in May 202. "I think Frank did a lot of good things as well.
"I think he needs some credit. He put the team in the Champions League last year, he reached the FA Cup final. He did a lot of positive things."
The pair are now set to meet once more later this season in what could be a season-defining game for the Gunners and their title aspirations. After the first head-to-head in 2019, won by a late goal from Tammy Abraham at the Emirates Stadium, few would have predicted a matchup like this coming three-and-a-half years down the line.
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