Upon signing his contract this week, Mikel Arteta reiterated the role that the fans will play in the next stage of his journey at the club.
The boss has overseen a growing sense of unity and connectivity across the club since taking charge in December 2019, and he says the fans will continue to play a huge part in taking the club ‘to the next level’.
“For me they have been the tsunami of this project,” he said.
“For two seasons we haven’t had them, and without them it was impossible to do it.
“So the moment we have had them close to us, and they have sensed and felt that energy and that way of now representing the club to a much deeper level, that’s when a sense of belonging from the fans is natural.
“That’s why everything has clicked in my opinion, to go and perform to the level that we are doing now.”
Mikel added that when the fans are really on board with the project, the affect that support can have on the players is tangible.
“Absolutely. In terms of confidence, of belief, of being happy to be representing this football club.
“I was hearing all the time Arsenal fans talking about the club, about individuals, about the staff, about an owner. I said if we get for them to really feel a sense of belonging and pride about the club and talk good things about each other, about a player, about how the team is playing, about the owner, about the board, about the decisions that we are making, about recruitment, we have no limits.”
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