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Football London
Football London
Sport
Lee Wilmot

Mikel Arteta shared 'perfect' routine with Cristiano Ronaldo to help Arsenal top Premier League

Mikel Arteta will go down as a true Arsenal legend if he can guide the Gunners to their first Premier League title in 19 years. The Gunners top the pile by two points from Manchester City, with 15 games to go - City only have 14.

Arsenal have been superb all season, losing just three games and are well on track to put 18 years of hurt behind them. But to get over the finishing line, you need a winning mentality, you have to be arrogant, you have to believe you can see the job through, which, thus far, Arsenal look like they have despite their youthful squad.

Arteta did not win a huge amount as a player - the FA Cup twice with Arsenal, the Scottish Premier League and League Cup with Rangers - but has already won silverware as manager - the FA Cup in 2019/20.

READ MORE: Gary Neville issues Arsenal 'difficult' Premier League title warning ahead of Leicester clash

But he has the arrogance needed to take Arsenal to the Premier League title, an arrogance and a sense of vanity that he shares with Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest players to ever grace the game.

Arteta's former teammate Emmanuel Frimpong recently spoke about how well groomed Arteta was during his playing days. Speaking to talkSPORT he said: "Well he was good on the pitch and he was very good looking off the pitch if you ask me! I remember Mikel sometimes in the changing room he would stand in front of the mirror, doing his eyebrows, making sure everything is perfect.

"It's typical Mikel Arteta, things have to be done perfect. We always used to notice how everything had to be done perfect. He was very quiet, he talks with wisdom, he talks with details. He was a player that I really respected because he used to help me a lot as a youngster."

Looking the best - being the best. It's a trait shared by Ronaldo, who has won everything there is tow in during his long career.

Writing in his 2014 autobiography, The Second Half, Roy Keane spoke about Ronaldo in glowing terms, and it's easy to draw comparisons with Arteta.

He wrote: "After the first few days, watching him train, my reaction was, ‘this lad is going to be one of the world’s greatest players.’ I didn’t say it publicly, because I’d always be wary of building a player up too early – or knocking him down.

"He looked like a player. You have to look the part, and he did. Zidane looked like a player – and Ronaldo looked like a player. The shape, the body language – they were there. A bit of arrogance, too. But he’d a nice way about him; he was very likeable.

"[Cristiano] was good-looking and he knew it."

Ronaldo certainly had style and substance, and Arteta's Arsenal look like they have both too. That will serve them well in the bid for the Premier League title this season.

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