Mikel Arteta has praised Xabi Alonso and Chelsea for one ‘really smart’ signing ahead of the huge Premier League clash against Arsenal.
After both won their opening two games of the campaign, the London rivals meet at the Emirates on Sunday, in an early meeting of two title favourites.
A whopping 11 players signed for Chelsea in Alonso’s first summer in charge, headlined by the record £117million transfer of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.
But it is their other arrival from Villa Park, Emiliano Martinez, that has received plenty of praise from fans and pundits, with the Argentina star performing well on his debut against last Brighton last weekend.
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Replacing Robert Sanchez with the World Cup-winning goalkeeper has surely boosted Chelsea’s title credentials and fixed what has often been cited as a problem position for the Blues.
This Sunday will see Martinez return to the Emirates, having previously spent eight years at Arsenal, which culminated with winning the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2020 under Arteta.
The 33-year-old’s switch to Stamford Bridge came as a shock to many, but Arteta says he was ‘not surprised’ by the move and believes his rivals have made an excellent signing.
‘Obviously, I know Emi really well,’ the Gunners boss said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
‘We had him here. He is a top goalkeeper.
‘It is clear what he is going to bring to the team and I think it’s a really smart decision.’
The aforementioned Rogers has made an impressive start to life in west London but he could well have been playing in the north of the capital instead, as Arsenal were the frontrunners for his signature before Chelsea swooped in.
After also being linked with Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez, the Gunners missed out on signing a marquee forward this summer but Arteta is not concerned.
‘I don’t know [if it is a missed opportunity], these are just opinions,’ he added.
‘The window is closed, and I prefer to look at all the incredible things that we have in the squad and not to spend any more time on the things that are not part of us right now. So, that’s it, and that’s my main responsibility.’
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