Arteta branded a 'CONTROL FREAK' as Schmeichel makes brutal Arsenal claim

Cameron Smith

Updated: 12 May 2025 09:05 BST
4 min read

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has slammed Mikel Arteta and claimed that Arsenal have regressed since his appointment back in 2019.

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The Gunners are on course to finish second in the Premier League table for the third consecutive season, while their defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals confirmed yet another trophyless campaign.

Arteta has only won the FA Cup (2020) and the Community Shield (2020 and 2023) since his arrival at the Emirates Stadium as Unai Emery’s successor and Schmeichel believes that Arsenal would have a greater chance of claiming major silverware if they opt to change their head coach.

“It’s all on Arteta, all,” Schmeichel told ViaPlay (as per The Mirror). “What I’m saying is, he was employed as head coach. He inherited the team and that team is the only team that he has won a trophy with.

“Then it’s his own team and then in the process, he’s now changed the job description so he’s now the manager. Everything is on him. It’s not recruitment, it’s not the board.”

Schmeichel added: “Whenever they [fans] get the opportunity today, watch him in the technical area. Arteta is a control freak, he wants his players to play the ball that he wants. He’s directing everything.

“You look across to Arne Slot who’s so calm. He’s instructed his players in training, instructed the players in the team talk. Arteta is still playing the game for the players and that would confuse the hell out of me as a football player that you had a coach that wants to direct me for everything I do. It would confuse me and make me a worse player.”

Arsenal under Mikel Arteta

Arteta currently boasts the best win percentage (59.22%) of any permanent manager in Arsenal history, with 151 victories in 255 matches since his arrival.

However, the aforementioned FA Cup triumph is the only major trophy he has won during his time in charge, despite the fact that €791.8 million has been spent on new signings across his spell at the helm.

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