I had dinner with Mikel Arteta – what Arsenal boss was doing says it all

Nacho Monreal recalled a single dinner with Mikel Arteta that was enough to persuade him his Arsenal colleague would excel in management.

Monreal arrived in the Premier League during the later stages of his fellow Spaniard's playing days, recognising significant coaching ability in Arteta from the outset.

Speaking to Ladbrokes at the launch of Ladisfaction, Monreal remembered witnessing firsthand his team-mate's dedication to understanding every aspect of football, even during his downtime.

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Monreal said: "It's no surprise to me that Mikel Arteta has gone into management... I joined Arsenal in 2013, and Mikel was already at the club.

"He was not the captain, but he was one of the senior players in the dressing room, and from the very first minute, you would always see him talking about football. You just knew he was going to be a manager.

"Of course, you never know how good someone is going to be in the job, and for me, right now, he's one of the best three coaches in the world... without a doubt.

"I can remember, myself and Santi [Cazorla] used to go to Mikel Arteta's house for dinner with our families, when we were players, and whenever we arrived, he'd be there in front of his TV with a notebook and a pen, making notes about everything in a game.

"We would just be like, 'Mikel, what are you doing?!' But he was already preparing for this stage of his career."

Arteta subsequently proved Monreal correct, beginning life as an assistant coach under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. The ex-Gunner assisted the City manager in securing two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and two League Cups before heading back to north London in 2019 to assume control.

Since his arrival, Arteta has rebuilt an ageing squad into a powerful force that has mounted title challenges on multiple occasions, though success has remained elusive. They currently lead the Premier League table once morethis campaign, with expectations of delivering silverware abundantly clear.

Monreal acknowledged that Arteta placed immense pressure upon himself as a player to be the best and it's evident his mentality remains unchanged in coaching. He added: "Once he started to pick up a few injuries in the later stages of his career, I think that was when he really started planning for a future in management.

"He would always be telling me what I could or should have done better on the pitch, and you could see he always had his own ideas of where he wanted people to be and how he wanted us to play. I would always say, 'Mikel, you cannot be everywhere!' But he tried to be. It's no coincidence that this is what he's doing right now.

"And just look where he is; Arsenal look like one of the best clubs in the world right now, and he has a chance to win the Premier League, and for me is one of the favourites to win the Champions League too... that's all down to Mikel Arteta, for me."