Mikel Arteta was told what to fix at Arsenal by Steve McClaren – and he’s done it

Mikel Arteta's improvements to Arsenal appear to reflect the advice Steve McClaren gave in a 2019 television appearance.

When Arteta took over from Unai Emery in 2019, the former England and Newcastle United boss, was quick to pinpoint the issues at the club during an appearance on Sky Sports News. At that time, Arsenal languished in 10th place, trailing seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Despite finishing eighth in the disrupted 2019/20 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Arteta clinched the FA Cup, marking a positive end to his first campaign. Fast forward to today, where Arteta's side have a genuine chance of winning the Premier League, many of Arsenal's strongest areas are those McClaren said they must address.

In a 2019 segment on Sky Sports, when asked about the improvements needed at Arsenal, McClaren remarked: "All he needs to do is address their attitudes in terms of when they haven't got the ball," reports the Mirror.

"When they haven't got the ball there's no speed in recovering into shape, there's no speed in recovering the ball within five seconds, which is Man City's philosophy when they lose the ball. There's no responsibility in terms of going with runners defending.

"There are no tackles until they get way back on the edge of their own box which is too late then. So I can see Arteta going into Arsenal and going: 'You know what, in terms of build-up possession, keeping the ball, we've got players who can do that. All I need to teach this team is attitude to defend and win the ball back between five and eight seconds, which is what Man City do'.

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"That's his philosophy. I think he can instil that at Arsenal, he can tweak Arsenal in terms of defenders, which I think they definitely need.

"Defenders are dropping too deep, they are not going and pressing it, they are not mobile and athletic enough to play the way he'll probably want to play. He could change that a little bit but he can also change that in the transfer market."

In his first transfer window, Arteta beefed up his midfield and defence with the signings of Gabriel Magalhaes, Thomas Partey and Cedric Soares, while also bringing Martin Odegaard on board on loan. After a season that brought another eighth-place finish, Arteta continued his rebuild, bringing in Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga, and making the loan deal for Odegaard permanent.

Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior were brought on board in the following campaign, while William Saliba was also welcomed into the first team after three seasons out on loan. One key recent signing has been Declan Rice, who has proven to be a vital asset in midfield this season.

Arsenal are known for their strong front-foot defence. But they also know when to tighten up at the back and eliminate any space behind.

McClaren will be hoping his current squad takes on board the advice he gave Arteta. United have let in 58 goals this season and are at risk of ending the season outside of the European spots.

The Red Devils are looking to redeem a lacklustre season in their FA Cup Final showdown against Manchester City. A win at Wembley Stadium would secure them a spot in next season's Europa League.