Mikel Arteta reveals warning he received from Mauricio Pochettino ahead of Chelsea vs Arsenal

Mikel Arteta revealed a warning he received from Mauricio Pochettino ahead of Chelsea’s encounter with Arsenal.

Having claimed a 1-0 victory over Premier League title holders Manchester City in their last match, Arsenal take on Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The Gunners are currently second in the standings, unbeaten and level on points with leaders and north London rivals Tottenham.

Moreover, while Pochettino endured a difficult start to life at Chelsea, his side has had a mini-resurgence in recent weeks, claiming three wins in succession across all competitions.

Chelsea’s meeting with Arsenal will act as a litmus test for Blues fans assessing the club’s progress in the past month, while it will also put Arteta’s side’s title credentials to the test.

Ahead of the game, Arteta was full of praise for his Chelsea counterpart, adding that Pochettino offered him some sage advice before taking up his management career. The clip can be viewed below.

Arteta told the Press: “[Pochetinno told me] don’t go into coaching.

“It’s too hard. I knew he was going to be a coach. I followed him very closely. As a player, he was a leader. I used to have him in my back and he was constantly coaching me.

“We lived together in the hotel for 3 months. It was critical. He has been one of the most influential people in my football career. He took me under his arm and looked after me like a little bother.”

On Chelsea’s mixed fortunes at the start of the campaign, Arteta added: “I think when you look first of all at the manager and coaching staff, and then the history and players it’s going to happen very quickly.

“You can see that they’re going to be a threat.

"It's happening quickly, they deserve much more in terms of points. You can see they will be up there."

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Topics: Football, Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, Premier League, Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.