Arsenal and Chelsea are two of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, but their recent trajectories have been remarkably different.
Arsenal have become title challengers under Mikel Arteta, who has successfully built a top-quality young squad alongside director Edu Gaspar. Their strategic approach to transfers has revitalised the club, and they are now the envy of a lot of teams across Europe.
In contrast, Chelsea have experienced a turbulent few years as they changed ownership, and went through several managers whilst spending heavily to no avail.
Despite heavy investment in a lot of young talent, Chelsea have struggled to find any sense of cohesion on the pitch, finishing 12th and 6th in the last two seasons.
They did show some promising signs under Mauricio Pochettino by the end of this season, but they then made the surprise decision to let him go, and they are now closing in on his replacement in Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea copy Arsenal approach as they close in on Enzo Maresca
Chelsea’s search for their next manager appears to be heavily influenced by Arsenal’s successful appointment of Arteta, who like Maresca, was previously Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City.
A report from The Daily Mail has now revealed that Chelsea were inspired by Arteta’s work at Arsenal when they decided to move for Maresca, who earned promotion to the Premier League with Leicester City this season.
“Chelsea have studied how Arteta eventually thrived at Arsenal after leaving Guardiola’s staff and hope Maresca can flourish in the same way. Based purely on his ability on the training ground, Maresca stands every chance,” the report revealed.
Arsenal have laid blueprint for top clubs to follow
Arsenal’s appointment of Arteta in 2019 has proven to be a masterstroke, and their decision to stick with him during a period of struggle was perhaps even more impressive.
They invested in their young coach, and helped him realise his vision on the pitch, with other clubs now trying to follow the Arsenal blueprint.
Bayern Munich have just hired former Man City defender Vincent Kompany in a surprising move, whilst Juventus have hired former central midfielder Thiago Motta as their coach.
Chelsea opting for Maresca on a long-term deal perhaps indicates that they see him as able to replicate Arteta’s project, who could implement his tactical ideas from working with Guardiola, whilst helping develop young talent.
READ MORE: All Mikel Arteta signings at Arsenal ranked from worst to best
By following Arsenal’s lead, Chelsea have acknowledged that hiring managers who have been mentored by top-tier coaches and are ready to step into a head coach role, could prove to be more fruitful than opting for a big-name or experienced manager.
Premier League clubs are now valuing long-term planning and the development of a footballing philosophy over experience and titles when it comes to selecting coaches, and Arteta’s outstanding work at Arsenal has definitely played a part in this.