EXCLUSIVE | Nigel Winterburn on Arsenal: ‘Mikel Arteta knows what everybody wants.’ | OneFootball

Retired Arsenal left-back Nigel Winterburn sat down to talk with Get Football News about his former team ahead of today’s clash with Liverpool.

It’s been a busy summer for Arsenal, who have spent big bringing in Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze, and Martín Zubimendi, among others. Are these the missing pieces to turn this side into Premier League champions?

I think we’re all hoping that [laughs]. And I think the club is thinking that, which is why they’ve brought them in. Listen, winning a Premier League title is never straightforward. You’ve got to put yourself in a position, which Arsenal have done a couple of times, and then you’ve got to jump the final hurdle when you get that opportunity. [Arsenal] have come up a little bit short.

There’s strength in the squad again, I personally believe, [these are] good signings. Now the team have got to go out again with the manager, and show us that they can go out and take that final step. There are a few other teams that feel that they may be able to do that as well. I think the league is going to be tighter this season. I think there’s going to be more teams involved, and from my point of view, I’m hoping that Arsenal are going to be very much up there and in the mix again. I don’t see any reason with the squad they’ve got [why they won’t be up there].

Obviously, you pray that you don’t pick up long-term injuries like we had last season. You get very nervous at the start of this season as well, with a couple of injuries already [Bakayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Kai Havertz], but there’s much more depth in the squad. So there’s no reason for me to doubt that Arsenal won’t be up there again.

Arsenal ended their search for a goalscoring number nine with Gyökeres. It’s only been a couple of matches, but has he changed the way the team play and look to create chances?

I think they’ll have to change. He looks like he wants to be fed down the sides of the channels and between the centre-halves. I think that’s his strength, he’s big, he’s strong. I think what we’re also looking at and trying to judge is in terms of match sharpness, fitness: is he at 100%? I don’t think he is. But those two goals [against Leeds] will be a huge relief.

He knows why he’s been brought to the football club. That brings pressure on itself to score a lot of goals, to give the team momentum. But I think he also has to get used to the way certain players play within the squad. The more he trains, the more he plays, he’s going to get an understanding of how Mikel Arteta wants to play.

I think they will tweak certain things, but I think it is very early to judge exactly what those little tweaks will be. You just have to have a look at Gyökeres, he likes the ball in front of him, and he’s big and he’s powerful. And if you watch some of the Sporting goals, you’ll see that he takes a lot of chances

People have been quick to point out the parallels between Ian Wright and Eberechi Eze, both joining from Crystal Palace at 27. It’s a daunting comparison to make, but can you talk a bit about what Eze might bring to the squad?

I don’t see the comparisons apart from they came from Crystal Palace [laughs]. I mean, one’s an out-and-out goalscorer in Ian Wright, who was sensational in his job. And in Eze, what we are getting is, for me, someone I’m super excited about signing, because we’ve got someone who we know can play to a high level in the Premier League. We’ve seen it with Crystal Palace, so I’m looking forward to him playing for Arsenal.

He’s got a wonderful ability, a great talent. I have no doubt in my mind that he’s going to be a huge success at our football club. But let me tell you, if he goes on to achieve what Ian Wright achieved at Arsenal, he’s going to make our supporters very very happy. In terms of comparisons, Wright is a legend, an absolutely unbelievable goalscorer. Eze is a different type of player, but also has wonderful ability and as I just said to you, I think he’s going to be a huge success.

Arsene Wenger revolutionised Arsenal (and also English football) when he joined in 1996; there’s been a similar feeling of revolution in the squad since Mikel Arteta took over in 2019, but apart from an FA Cup win, there has been a notable lack of trophies. Is it fair to judge Arteta on this, or should we be looking at the wider picture?

Boy oh boy, it’s a difficult question, isn’t it? I always feel that when you’re at a big club with its history, you’re always going to get judged on what you’ve achieved for your football club – it doesn’t matter if you’re a player or a manager. Mikel Arteta has won the FA Cup, but now people will want to see a Premier League title. But as we know, that is very, very difficult.

They will also want to see some other success. We’ve spent a lot of money; we’re not going to hide away from that fact. But if you look at where we were six years ago, the club has changed dramatically, and the squad has changed [and is now] in a much, much better place. We had some good players, but did we have a squad that a lot of people genuinely thought would challenge for a league title… I don’t think so.

But now with the additions to the squad, I would be absolutely shocked with all things being normal, if Arsenal aren’t pressing for a title come the end of the season. When you spend money, when you’re a big club, it brings its own pressure. The expectations get bigger and bigger each season. I think Mikel Arteta knows exactly what the club’s expectations are and what the supporters are expecting. It’s up to him and his players to deal with that. They know what everybody wants.

You’ve mentioned in other interviews that Arsenal have historically failed to meet their potential in the Champions League. Why do you think this is?

You know what I wish I [knew], and then maybe I would have at least got to the final of the Champions League. Even the teams I played in that were very successful domestically, in terms of the Champions League, we just came up short. I can’t give you the answer quite honestly, because if I knew, I’d probably be taking my coaching badges and putting myself forward for the big jobs. All I can say is look at the history, look at the 2006 Champions League final, I think we’ve come up short on numerous occasions.

Last season was huge for the club, [even if] we couldn’t quite get over the line in terms of getting to the final. For me, that was a big statement of intent. If you’re putting yourself into quarter-finals, semi-finals, year after year, eventually you get to the final, and eventually you get an opportunity to win. But my club and the teams I got to play in, personally, haven’t justified what we should have been doing. And absolutely, I open my arms to you and say I can’t give you the answer to that. But last season, to me, looked much more promising. It felt as if we were not a long way from being able to repeat that. But let’s see about this season, just because you get there once, doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to do it again. You have to reset and do it again.

Nigel Winterburn was talking exclusively to Get Football News on behalf of NewBettingSites.uk.

GFN | Nick Hartland