Arsenal have shown that by trusting a manager with a long-term project, success can be achieved after enduring some tough times.
The Gunners missed out on a top four finish last term at the expense of their rivals Tottenham after losing a crucial North London Derby before suffering a disappointing defeat away to Newcastle, ending their hopes of returning to the UEFA Champions League. Mikel Arteta came under fire from pundits and fans for Arsenal's collapse at the end of the season, but the Spaniard was trusted to turn things around this season.
The Gunners' decision to stick with Arteta has paid off with the north London outfit currently top of the Premier League and going strong in the Europa League. There has been a strong recruitment strategy at the Emirates Stadium over the past two years, with Arsenal blending talented youngsters with experienced veterans, along with some important tactical tweaks from the manager seeing the Gunners lose just one game in all competitions far this term.
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Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson believes Aston Villa can learn from the Gunners by sticking with under-pressure boss Steven Gerrard and not making a knee-jerk reaction by sacking the Liverpool legend. Writing in his Daily Star column, Merson wrote: "It used to be the fans that get you sacked but now the board will also compare themselves with other clubs and say 'they are nowhere near as big as us, yet they're above us.'
"I find it worrying for Villa at the moment because there are no bankers to go down. You expect them to be near the top half but this season, you don't have Norwich or Watford, who are usually dead certs for relegation.
"If I had to pick one, I'd maybe say Nottingham Forest but even that's a lazy assumption. Villa have to be careful because, at the moment, there aren't many teams that are playing worse than them. You've only got to look at Mikel Arteta to determine Gerrard deserves more time to put things right.
"Let's be honest, bar this season where Arsenal bought Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko - Villa could have signed any one of the other players Arteta and Edu have brought in. We're not talking stupid money.
"You look at Villa and their recruitment has not been great at all, I can't think of any player that they've signed that is currently ripping it up. They're just not getting the best out of certain players and that shocks me given the player that Gerrard was."
Arteta has shown that he has been able to nurture talented youngsters into better players, something which has contributed to Arsenal's success so far this season. It is clear that the Gunners are on an upwards trajectory and Merson feels the same could happen to Villa if they stick with Gerrard and give him time to turn their form around.
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