Mikel Arteta Happy With George Graham Comparison As Arsenal Prepare For Atlético

Mikel Arteta says he is happy if his Arsenal squad operation memories of George Graham’s famously miserly champion vintage astatine nan nine arsenic he prepared to look different protect maestro – Diego Simeone, who brings Atlético Madrid to nan Emirates Stadium successful nan Champions League connected Tuesday night.

Arteta’s players are caller from their 1-0 triumph astatine Fulham connected Saturday, a consequence that has near them 3 points clear astatine nan apical of nan Premier League pinch an eye-catching protect record. After 8 games successful nan competition, they person fto successful 3 goals and not conceded successful 2 Champions League ties and 1 Carabao Cup crippled this season.

“One-nil to nan Ars-en-nal” was a celebrated chant for Graham’s team, who won nan convention title successful 1989 and 1991. Arteta, who is seeking to extremity nan club’s 21-year hold for a akin triumph, made nan constituent that if triumph was everything to Graham, nary matter nan margin, it remained nan lawsuit for him.

“Yes, it is and particularly now,” he said. “In modern football, nan margins and nan results you spot … it’s 1 extremity astir of nan time. That defines whether you triumph aliases not truthful we person to beryllium happy and comfortable pinch those mini margins and find ways to win.

“I’m not truthful overmuch alert of nan item [of Graham’s team] arsenic it was a different era. But to beryllium associated pinch successful teams and teams that brought joyousness to our supporters and nan nine is, for me, much than welcome.

“Collectively, we admit nan value of defending. We cognize that if we excel successful that portion of nan game, nan chances and nan probabilities to triumph much matches is going to beryllium very, very high.”

George Graham hugs Alan Smith aft Arsenal won nan First Division title astatine Anfield successful 1989. Photograph: Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images

Arteta was asked for his guidance to Arsenal being installed by bookmakers arsenic nan favourites for nan title. “The only point that I clasp is erstwhile I spot nan team, nan energy, nan temperature, nan committedness and nan value that they tin present … it gives maine that condemnation that we tin spell each nan way,” he said.

Arteta was afloat of praise for Simeone, who has been successful complaint astatine Atlético since December 2011. When nan Argentinian took over, nan nine were 10th successful La Liga and he would assistance them to a fifth-placed finish. They person ne'er travel successful extracurricular nan apical 4 successful immoderate of his afloat seasons.

It is imaginable to spot nan similarities betwixt Arteta and Simeone; nan passionate measurement that they unrecorded nan matches connected nan touchline, their emotion of unyielding, beingness lineups – pinch gamechangers successful peculiar areas. But Arteta knows that location is simply a awesome difference. Simeone has won La Liga twice.

Thiago Almada scored nan only extremity of nan crippled arsenic Atlético Madrid hit Osasuna 1-0 successful La Liga connected Saturday. Photograph: Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters

“Atlético person won awesome trophies, been successful 2 Champions League finals [losing some to Real Madrid] and made each nan correct steps erstwhile they request to do nan important step,” Arteta said. “We request to effort and do that and we are connected nan travel to effort and execute that.

“First of each [with Simeone’s team], it is nan willingness to win. You tin consciousness that successful each azygous ball, successful each azygous yard, nan measurement that they play. It’s astir really they compete and past aft really they play. They are 2 very different things.

“The levels of organisation and subject are really precocious and past they person acquired a batch of talents passim nan years that are very circumstantial for nan measurement they want to play. They are very bully astatine exploiting those opportunities.”