Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta describes West Ham manager David Moyes as “a very special person” as he prepares to face him later today.
Moyes was Arteta’s manager at Everton from 2005 to 2011 and the two will go against each other as they seek to win their first Premier League title in 19 years.
West Ham, managed by Moyes, currently sit in 14th place, with a mere three-point advantage over the relegation zone but they have reached the quarter-final of the Europa Conference and have not been defeated throughout their 11 games.
Despite criticism from some that Moyes is a manager whose time has passed, he appears to be turning things around at West Ham, which is facing the threat of relegation. Arteta, whose assistant Steve Round used to work with Moyes, defended him against such criticism.
“He is always trying to evolve, always trying to get the latest thing to his players and his club. He’s not someone who sits down and says ‘I used to do things like things 20 years ago and I am still going to things like this’. If he does things he used to do 20 years ago, it’s because he is fully convinced it is the right thing to do,” said Round who was quoted by the Guardian.
‘Respect’ and ‘admiration’
When Arteta was asked about the respect he has for Moyes at a press conference before the Sunday match, he said: “It’s more than respect, it’s admiration. I loved playing for him.
“I would go through a brick wall for him when he was my manager. I think everyone would in that squad. He is exceptional at managing the group and dealing with individuals, and a very special person, a really special human being.
“Very trustworthy and a man who honours his word, someone who I learnt a lot from. He saw things in me I didn’t know and asked me to play in positions I never played before in my life,” he added.
As for the attribute of Moyes that influenced him, he said: “How he deals with creating a culture around the club, a chemistry between the players and the belief that we could do something as a team.
“He works really hard. He is extremely demanding. He’s got character, Scottish character that is impulsive and I really enjoyed my time under him. Obviously the Manchester United situation, I think what happened there was very harsh on him. I know how he is as a manager and my opinion hasn’t changed at all. I spoke with him a few times. He has always been very supportive. He has a great belief in me and we maintain a really good relationship.”
‘A great player’
According to BBC Sports, prior to joining Arsenal, Arteta received recognition from Moyes for his contributions as an Everton player, for which he expressed gratitude.
“Mikel was a great player for me at Everton and helped us take Everton up the league.
“He knew how he wanted his football to be played. He was a very talented player and he’s been able to put over things about his playing style which he wants in his own team.”
Moyes acknowledged Arteta’s successful education working as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City before taking charge of Arsenal where he has won the FA Cup as a manager and is now going toe-to-toe with Guardiola in the title race.
He was quoted by BBC Sports saying: “It looked as if Arsenal are quite relentless as well, they are going away and playing well at a lot of big clubs. We know we’re in for a tough game.”
‘We are happy’
With Arsenal scoring an equaliser against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, their lead was decreased to six points from eight points.
Their equaliser against Liverpool could cause them to lose the Premier League title as they are passing the reigning champions Manchester City with six points and Manchester City have a game at hand and the two teams will meet at Etihad Stadium on 26th April.
He was quoted by BBC Sports: “You need luck in the right moment. That is really important and how you think to avoid it.
“We are where we are. We are happy where we are. We have to finish the job. In order to do that, we need that extra bit of everybody”.
“They have got themselves on a great position” Moyes said concerning Arsenal title bid.
“They are good and they have a good record on the road. It makes it difficult game but we have had a good couple of games against Arsenal over the past years, and hopefully we can do that again”.
West Ham is set to host the Gunners later today at 15:00BST, as both London based teams are hoping to secure a win. West Ham wants to build on their last weekend’s victory at Fulham, while Arsenal aims to take home the three points.