Arsenal are in the right hands of Mikel Arteta, asserts Santi Cazorla

In an interview with Goal, Villareal midfielder Santi Cazorla has extended his support to Mikel Arteta, who recently took over as the manager of Gunners. Cazorla believes that his former teammate will bring good results at Emirates and will transform Gunners into a major powerhouse. Arteta made the leap into management when, in December, he left his post as assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City to take over at the Gunners ' helm, replacing Unai Emery. 

The North London side has lost just one of their seven games since Arteta took charge, but their third draw in a row and fourth overall under the new boss was the 2-2 result at Chelsea on Wednesday. Arsenal is now 10th in the Premier League and 10 points behind its midweek rivals who occupy the last spot in the Champions League, but Cazorla is optimistic that his former team-mate can deliver the goods at the Emirates Stadium.

“Yes, I believed he would become a manager in the future. Even when I was playing with him, he showed great leadership in dressing room. Some say it's a gamble for Arsenal to appoint him, but I believe it's a reasonable challenge. He also worked as a coach under Pep Guardiola. I believe he can become a great coach. It's not easy for any manager now to be like Wenger or [Sir Alex] Ferguson. I can't anticipate how long he'll stay at Arsenal, but I believe he can also make great career at Arsenal, and he's a proper one for Arsenal. I hope Mikel leads Arsenal well.”, said Cazorla to Goal.

Throughout his six years at Arsenal, the 35-year-old played 180 games, before leaving for Villarreal throughout 2018. His final three years in the English capital were plagued by injury and he feels he still has unfinished business at the club.

“I don't know if it's possible or not, but I want to play one more game for Arsenal before I retire. It was a deep regret that I could never have a proper goodbye. Arsenal was the biggest club I ever played for. I'm proud that I was an Arsenal player. I'm especially grateful for Arsenal fans who supported me even after I left the club. I wish I can be part of the Gunners family in the future again.”, concluded the Spain international.