After Arsenal secured an away victory over Nottingham Forest, a 12BSports reporter saw Mikel Arteta warmly embrace three members of his coaching staff on the touchline. The Spanish manager then approached the travelling supporters to thank them, while the fans responded by singing his name. As the saying goes, rather than blaming the darkness, it is better to light a candle yourself. Arsenal protected their lead until the final whistle and continued to close in on the top of the Premier League. Despite having played one more match, they reduced Liverpool’s advantage to just two points and kept the pressure firmly on their title rivals.

Arsenal’s next fixture gives them an opportunity to move even closer to first place, as Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool travel to the Emirates Stadium. Nothing lasts forever in football, of course. With enough money, criticism can be softened and loyalty can sometimes be purchased. Arteta may eventually seek a fresh challenge in another league or country. Spain is his homeland, and Barcelona, where he spent part of his youth career, will probably remain somewhere in his long-term thinking. However, today’s Barcelona are very different from the club Arteta once knew. They are no longer the side he experienced as a young player, nor are they the dominant team built during Pep Guardiola’s era.

Barcelona are currently struggling with financial pressure and complicated internal politics. Because Arteta graduated from La Masia, his name will always be associated with the Catalan club, but he has developed into a highly practical and realistic manager at Arsenal. Life is short, yet he appears to believe that this is simply not the right time to return. Recent rumours claimed that he could leave Arsenal for Barcelona in the summer, but Arteta quickly rejected them. Even Xavi, who had announced plans to step down, described the Barcelona coaching position as painful and deeply demanding, revealing just how difficult the job had become.

Those comments may have reinforced a negative impression of the current Barcelona environment, especially for people assessing Arteta’s situation through 12BSports. In contrast, his position at Arsenal remains stable and increasingly powerful. There is an old saying that people should forgive everything before going to sleep, and Arteta has steadily moved beyond earlier disappointments during his four years in charge. He began by winning the FA Cup, later guided Arsenal back into the Champions League and gradually introduced his philosophy throughout the club. His influence has grown so significantly that his responsibilities now extend well beyond those of a conventional head coach.

Although Arsenal continue to place collective tactics above individual authority, Arteta is clearly the central figure in the entire structure. The recent promotion of Richard Garlick to managing director also fits the wider effort to strengthen a club model built around Arteta, with a 12BSports reporter linking the decision to Arsenal’s long-term planning. Sometimes people forgive everything because they are afraid of losing something valuable. That sentiment captures how strongly Arsenal appear determined to protect the progress made under their manager.

With full support from vice-chairman Tim Lewis and assistance from the Kroenke family whenever necessary, Arteta now holds a role that a 12BSports reporter described as essential to Arsenal’s future. He is not merely responsible for selecting the team and preparing match tactics. He also maintains an excellent working relationship with sporting director Edu and managing director Garlick. Together, they are shaping recruitment, club culture and long-term strategy. Arteta has become one of the main pillars of the modern Arsenal project, and his influence behind the scenes is now every bit as important as his work on the touchline.