Arsenal are 'ahead' in Mikel Arteta's five phase plan that he implemented at the club after replacing Unai Emery as manager. The Spaniard has led his team to the top of the Premier League table after 14 matches as they prepare to take on West Ham on Boxing Day.
The Gunners will be top of the table at Christmas after heading into the World Cup break ahead of reigning champions Manchester City by five points. Arteta will not have key summer signing Gabriel Jesus available until February after the Brazilian suffered a serious knee injury whilst away with Brazil in Qatar.
Eddie Nketiah looks set to be the man to replace Jesus in the starting lineup, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka both returning from the World Cup unscathed. Arteta will be hoping Arsenal can pick up where they left off last month by resuming the Premier League with a win against the Hammers.
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There has been a huge improvement in the Gunners performances this season after missing out on a top four spot at the end of last term to north London rivals Tottenham. The Arsenal board showed faith in the Spanish manager despite the mounting pressure on him, a decision which has paid dividends this season with the north Londoners leading the way at the top of the table.
Arteta has opened up on what has helped him during his time as Arsenal boss and he believes the team are "ahead" of schedule.
Speaking to Jamie Carragher in an interview on SkySports, Arteta said: "The most important ones [that have helped him] are my wife, my family, because that's when you really open up and say exactly what you are feeling.
"The second is the coaching and the staff around you. They are critical and you can really sense what is happening, how they are feeling and how they can help you.
"The third one is to have a club behind you that understands what the situation is and what it's going to take to move from where we are to a better place. The good thing is I had a really clear plan.
"I put a plan [in place] of five different phases for the club. Where we are compared to the rest of the teams, the timeline and everything we have to hit in every phase."
When asked whether the Gunners are ahead or behind in Arteta's plan, the Arsenal boss smiled and replied: "We are ahead."
It's clear that no one expected the north London outfit to be City's main title challengers this season. With the drop off in Liverpool's performances, along with Chelsea suffering a difficult season so far, the Gunners have taken full advantage of that and it has been helped by Arteta's plan.
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