Arsenal Manager: Current Staff and Historical Overview

Arsenal FC is a club steeped in history, especially when it comes to its managers. The name that stands out most is Arsene Wenger, the club’s most successful manager. Since Wenger's departure, Arsenal has struggled to reclaim a league title, with their last league triumph being the unbeaten 2003-04 season. The club’s leadership seems content with trophies like the Community Shield and FA Cup, but a Premier League title remains elusive.

Arsenal has won 47 trophies in total since its inception but has never captured European silverware. This contrasts sharply with local rivals like Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, who have multiple European titles. During the 2024-25 season, Tottenham claimed the UEFA Europa League, becoming the second London club to do so, while Arsenal continues to chase their first UEFA Champions League victory.

Mikel Arteta: Background and Career

Mikel Arteta, the current Arsenal manager, hails from Spain and graduated from the famed La Masia academy. He began his professional career at Rangers in Scotland, playing as a midfielder. Known for being an underrated player, Arteta brought unique skills and style to every team he joined.

Arteta hit his peak during his time at Everton and later played under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. After retiring as a player, he moved into coaching, serving as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City before taking over as Arsenal’s manager in late 2019. Although major trophies have been scarce under his leadership, many believe his tactical approach will soon bring more silverware to the club.

Tactics and Playing Style of Mikel Arteta

Arsenal under Arteta focuses on strong positional play combined with a high pressing game. His tactics merge the ball-possession style of Pep Guardiola with Jurgen Klopp’s intense gegenpressing. This hybrid method allows Arsenal to control games against both defensive mid-table teams and high-press opponents. A notable example was their dominant midfield performance in beating Real Madrid during the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League season.

Arsenal Coaching Staff and Support Team

• Manager: Mikel Arteta
• Assistant Managers: Albert Stuivenberg, Nicolas Jover, Miguel Molina, Gabriel Heinze
• Goalkeeping Coach: Inaki Cana
• Academy Manager: Per Mertesacker
• Head of Sports Medicine and Performance: Zafar Iqbal
• Managing Director: Richard Garlick
• Chief Commercial Officer: Juliet Slot
• Chief Financial Officer: Stuart Wisely
• Director of Football Operations: James King

Set Piece Coaching

Nicolas Jover, Arsenal’s set-piece coach, was born in Germany on October 28, 1981. Starting his career as a video analyst at Montpellier, Jover gained recognition during his time at Manchester City before joining Arsenal in 2021. His influence is clear, as Arsenal scored 20 set-piece goals in the 2023–24 Premier League season, the highest in the league, with 16 coming from corners — tying the record for a single Premier League season.

List of Arsenal Managers Through History

• Thomas Mitchell (Scotland): Mar 30, 1897 – Mar 10, 1898; Matches: 45; Wins: 23; Draws: 8; Losses: 14; Goals For: 106; Goals Against: 79; Win %: 51.11%; Major Trophies: None
• William Elcoat (England): Apr 11, 1898 – Feb 16, 1899; Matches: 44; Wins: 21; Draws: 6; Losses: 17; GF: 86; GA: 67; Win %: 47.73%; Major Trophies: None
• Arthur Kennedy (England): Feb 21, 1899 – Apr 29, 1899; Matches: 15; Wins: 8; Draws: 3; Losses: 4; GF: 31; GA: 17; Win %: 53.33%; Major Trophies: None
• Harry Bradshaw (England): Jun 30, 1899 – Apr 30, 1904; Matches: 235; Wins: 118; Draws: 44; Losses: 73; GF: 403; GA: 237; Win %: 50.21%; Major Trophies: None
• Phil Kelso (Scotland): May 1, 1904 – Feb 9, 1908; Matches: 152; Wins: 63; Draws: 31; Losses: 58; GF: 225; GA: 229; Win %: 41.45%; Major Trophies: None
• George Morrell (Scotland): Feb 10, 1908 – Apr 13, 1915; Matches: 309; Wins: 113; Draws: 74; Losses: 122; GF: 392; GA: 428; Win %: 36.57%; Major Trophies: None
• James McEwen (England): Apr 19, 1915 – May 24, 1919; Matches: 2; Wins: 1; Draws: 0; Losses: 1; GF: 7; GA: 3; Win %: 50.00%; Major Trophies: None
• Leslie Knighton (England): May 25, 1919 – May 16, 1925; Matches: 286; Wins: 105; Draws: 63; Losses: 118; GF: 367; GA: 401; Win %: 36.71%; Major Trophies: None
• Herbert Chapman (England): Jun 11, 1925 – Jan 6, 1934; Matches: 411; Wins: 204; Draws: 97; Losses: 110; GF: 879; GA: 616; Win %: 49.64%; Major Trophies: 2× First Division, 1× FA Cup, 3× Shield
• Joe Shaw (England): Jan 6, 1934 – May 28, 1934; Matches: 23; Wins: 14; Draws: 3; Losses: 6; GF: 44; GA: 29; Win %: 60.87%; Major Trophies: 1× First Division
• George Allison (England): May 28, 1934 – May 31, 1947; Matches: 279; Wins: 129; Draws: 74; Losses: 76; GF: 534; GA: 327; Win %: 46.24%; Major Trophies: 2× First Division, 1× FA Cup, 2× Shield
• Tom Whittaker (England): Jun 2, 1947 – Oct 24, 1956; Matches: 430; Wins: 203; Draws: 106; Losses: 121; GF: 802; GA: 568; Win %: 47.21%; Major Trophies: 2× First Division, 1× FA Cup, 2× Shield
• Jack Crayston (England): Oct 24, 1956 – May 19, 1958; Matches: 81; Wins: 34; Draws: 17; Losses: 30; GF: 148; GA: 151; Win %: 41.98%; Major Trophies: None
• George Swindin (England): Jun 21, 1958 – May 1, 1962; Matches: 186; Wins: 76; Draws: 43; Losses: 67; GF: 336; GA: 330; Win %: 40.86%; Major Trophies: None
• Billy Wright (England): May 1, 1962 – Jun 13, 1966; Matches: 182; Wins: 70; Draws: 43; Losses: 69; GF: 336; GA: 330; Win %: 38.46%; Major Trophies: None
• Bertie Mee (England): Jun 20, 1966 – May 4, 1976; Matches: 539; Wins: 241; Draws: 148; Losses: 150; GF: 739; GA: 542; Win %: 44.71%; Major Trophies: 1× First Division, 1× FA Cup, 1× Fairs Cup
• Terry Neill (Northern Ireland): Jul 9, 1976 – Dec 16, 1983; Matches: 416; Wins: 187; Draws: 117; Losses: 112; GF: 601; GA: 446; Win %: 44.95%; Major Trophies: 1× FA Cup
• Don Howe (England): Dec 16, 1983 – Mar 22, 1986; Matches: 117; Wins: 54; Draws: 32; Losses: 31; GF: 187; GA: 142; Win %: 46.15%; Major Trophies: None
• Steve Burtenshaw (England): Mar 23, 1986 – May 14, 1986; Matches: 11; Wins: 3; Draws: 2; Losses: 6; GF: 7; GA: 15; Win %: 27.27%; Major Trophies: None
• George Graham (Scotland): May 14, 1986 – Feb 21, 1995; Matches: 460; Wins: 225; Draws: 133; Losses: 102; GF: 711; GA: 403; Win %: 48.91%; Major Trophies: 2× First Division, 1× FA Cup, 2× League Cup, 1× CWC, 1× Shield
• Stewart Houston (Scotland): Feb 21, 1995 – Jun 15, 1995; Matches: 19; Wins: 7; Draws: 3; Losses: 9; GF: 29; GA: 25; Win %: 36.84%; Major Trophies: None
• Bruce Rioch (Scotland): Jun 15, 1995 – Aug 12, 1996; Matches: 47; Wins: 22; Draws: 15; Losses: 10; GF: 67; GA: 37; Win %: 46.81%; Major Trophies: None
• Stewart Houston (Scotland, 2nd time): Aug 12, 1996 – Sep 13, 1996; Matches: 6; Wins: 2; Draws: 2; Losses: 2; GF: 11; GA: 10; Win %: 33.33%; Major Trophies: None
• Pat Rice (Northern Ireland): Sep 13, 1996 – Sep 30, 1996; Matches: 4; Wins: 3; Draws: 0; Losses: 1; GF: 10; GA: 4; Win %: 75.00%; Major Trophies: None
• Arsène Wenger (France): Oct 1, 1996 – May 13, 2018; Matches: 1,235; Wins: 707; Draws: 280; Losses: 248; GF: 2156; GA: 1147; Win %: 57.25%; Major Trophies: 3× Premier League, 7× FA Cup, 7× Community Shield
• Unai Emery (Spain): May 23, 2018 – Nov 29, 2019; Matches: 78; Wins: 43; Draws: 16; Losses: 19; GF: 152; GA: 100; Win %: 55.13%; Major Trophies: None
• Freddie Ljungberg (Sweden, interim): Nov 29, 2019 – Dec 21, 2019; Matches: 6; Wins: 1; Draws: 3; Losses: 2; GF: 8; GA: 10; Win %: 16.67%; Major Trophies: None
• Mikel Arteta (Spain): Dec 22, 2019 – Present (as of Dec 2024); Matches: 255; Wins: 151; Draws: 44; Losses: 60; GF: 480; GA: 250; Win %: 59.22%; Major Trophies: 1× FA Cup, 2× Community Shield

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who is the current Arsenal manager? Mikel Arteta leads Arsenal as manager.
• Who is considered Arsenal’s greatest manager? Arsene Wenger is widely regarded as the greatest.
• Which clubs did Mikel Arteta play for? He played for Barcelona B, Paris Saint-Germain, Rangers, Real Sociedad, Everton, and Arsenal.
• When did Arteta become Arsenal’s manager? December 20, 2019.