Mikel Arteta has admitted it was 'helpful' that he wasn't the first manager to succeed Arsene Wenger in the Arsenal dugout and claims Unai Emery deserves 'respect' for doing so.
Arteta was appointed head coach of the north London side in December 2019 after Emery's year-and-a-half stint in charge came to an end following the Spaniard's sacking.
And the 40-year-old insists he has a lot of 'admiration' for Emery - who is set to take charge of Aston Villa for the first time this weekend - having been appointed Arsenal coach just 10 days after Wenger's sacking.