Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists that Spaniard Mikel Arteta is adapting to the Gunners' style of play.
Gunners boss delighted with how Spaniard is adapting
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists that Spaniard Mikel Arteta is adapting to the Gunners' style of play.
The 29-year-old moved to The Emirates on transfer deadline day and he has been an ever-present in Premier League action since.
With starlet Jack Wilshere unavailable to Wenger due to injury the French tactician has been delighted with Arteta's ability to retain possession.
Wenger likes his troops to play the ball forwards as much as possible and he likes players who are not only have excellent speed of thought, but who also recognise opportunities.
Important
"He is an important player for our team," Wenger told the club's
official website. "He is really a player between Song and Ramsey or Rosicky and that gives us continuity.
"When we need to keep the ball he can achieve that - Jack [Wilshere] can do that as well. But with Jack missing he is a player who can keep the ball when it is needed.
"He is adapting to our game. If you look at the stats in the Premier League, Arsenal are the team who play the least balls backwards.
"That means when you have the ball it is not only a question of decision-making, it's a question of opportunity. It's about how many players you have in front of you - if you have players behind you have to play it backwards."
Outstanding
Wenger believes Arteta is capable of shining on the international stage, although he accepts that winning a place in Spain's national team is easier said than done.
"In a different way he is like [Ryan] Giggs," Wenger continued. "He had the bad luck to play for Wales who never went to a big tournament. Arteta was born in Spain where they have plenty of midfielders who are absolutely outstanding.
"What maybe didn't help him is that he was very young and he did not move to clubs who were maybe as glamorous as they should have been.
"At the time he went very young to PSG when they were not going very well. After he moved to Rangers to try and convince Spanish managers he deserved a place in the team and then to Everton.
"It shows what I always say - 90 per cent of a player's career is the club. It's the club who makes the career of the players. If he was English he would have an international career here."
