November 2019. Unai Emery's final game as Arsenal manager sees the Gunners languishing eighth in the league. Appointed in the dying embers of the Wenger years, Emery's 18 months as Arsenal boss has seen the team and the club go backwards—playing unimaginative, pragmatic football, and recently losing to London rivals Chelsea in the final of the Europa League. Something had to change; a fresh head with fresh ideas. A new leader. This is the story of how Mikel Arteta turned Arsenal into one of the most exciting, innovative and feared teams in the league. From cutting his teeth as an assistant under Pep Guardiola before joining Arsenal in the winter of 2019, through to title contenders years later—including bust-ups, Covid, disappointments, FA Cup wins, fan revolt, and eventually the rise of an extraordinary young team standing on the edge of greatness—this book will be the first of its kind to explore the workings of Arteta's philosophy and how he transformed the club from outsiders to title challengers. With chapters on his tactical innovations, in-game strategies, transfer insight and, of course, an account of the memorable 2022-23 season—is the story of an extraordinary football ascent and the first draft of Arsenal's new history.
