Is Mikel Arteta the most overrated manager in Premier League?

21st century football has made success to be measured in trophies, and time, even for young managers, is a luxury afforded only when results match the investment. Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta since December 2019, has enjoyed considerable praise for reviving the club’s image and bringing tactical identity back to the Gunners. But five years into his tenure with no Premier League title, a Champions League triumph, or major domestic trophy since his initial FA Cup win in 2020, the question must be asked: is Mikel Arteta the most overrated manager in the Premier League?

There is no denying that Arsenal look better than they did in the years before Arteta’s arrival. But the improvement has been cosmetic in many ways. Arteta’s record against top sides remains questionable. In crucial fixtures, where league titles are won and lost his side has consistently failed. Their collapse in the final weeks of the 2022/23 season, where they surrendered the title to Manchester City after leading for over 240 days, shows their inability to maintain composure under pressure. That’s not a mark of champions, it is a sign of a team without a winning mentality.

The manager with big spending, but small returns

Since taking the over as manager, Arteta has overseen a transfer outlay of £700 million, bringing in names like Declan Rice (£105M), Kai Havertz (£65M), Gabriel Jesus (£45M), and Ben White (£50M). While some signings have shown their worth, their impact on the team remains a doubt when compared to their price tags. For instance, Havertz has struggled to justify his role as a supporting striker, Rice though good defensively and in the attack has not gotten that midfield gem which fans have seen in the likes of Rodri, and Gabriel Jesus has suffered with inconsistency and injuries.

Arteta’s supporters argue that the spending was necessary to rebuild a broken squad, but that is partially true. What reasons would make me criticize that theory when I look at other managers in the same age bracket with Arteta and possibly similar experience but still grounding results by claiming silverwares, Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso won the Bundesliga in his first full season at the club and doing it with a low budget squad even Xavi Hernandez of Barcelona did similar with a indebted and struggling squad. Additionally, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, and now Arne Slot are getting trophies with similar or even lower net spends across seasons.

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Arteta’s tactical rigidity

One of Arteta’s biggest flaws is his tactical rigidity. His possession-heavy, high-pressing 4-3-3 formation can look easy and simple, but often proves predictable and ineffective against well-organized low blocks. Arsenal frequently dominate possession without creating enough clear chances, as seen in several frustrating draws and narrow losses this season. Arteta’s insistence on playing players out of position like Havertz as a center forward or Zinchenko as an inverted fullback even when clearly struggling, raises questions about his adaptability.In a league that demands tactical rotation when the match is on, Arteta’s lack of a plan B has been costly. In contrast, managers like Ruben Amorim at Manchester United have shown what it takes to switch tactics in order to boost their team’s performances when on the pitch.

Arteta’s hype machine

What gives Arteta an “overrated” status is the perception around him. He is often described as a “mini Guardiola,” praised for his passion on the sidelines and in-depth tactical systems. But all these passion and theory do not equate to results. He is yet to defeat Guardiola in a significant title-deciding match, and his Champions League credentials remain untested beyond the quarter-finals.

Moreover, we all know the English media to be the bedrock of propaganda, its romanticism with Arteta’s “project” contributes to the illusion of success. But in truth, Arsenal are still defined by potential not by trophies. Five years down the line, potential becomes an excuse rather than a vision.

Final thought

Arteta is not a bad manager, far from it. He is young, articulate, and has given the Gunners a structure and identity that had been lost. But in modern football, intent and ideology mean nothing without end product. With no major trophies in five seasons and hundreds of millions spent, the gap between what Arteta is praised for and what he’s actually achieved is like the distance between east and west.

In that light, Mikel Arteta might just be the most overrated manager in the Premier League currently, yes he is a tactician, making the talks, building promising blueprints, but has yet to deliver the ultimate currency of football “trophies.” If nothing happens soon, the “trust the process” he so often defends may be remembered not as a revolution but as a fairy tale.