Mikel Arteta believes Chelsea manager Graham Potter should not be underrated by the media due to being English.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of his meeting with Potter later today, the Arsenal boss defended the man in the opposing dugout.
Graham against Mikel
The derby at Stamford Bridge will pit two highly credited coaches against one another, with both having their own personal points to prove.
Arteta must demonstrate to the division that his side’s hunt for Premier League glory is serious.
After a few seasons straggling behind the leading pack, the Gunners are potentially shooting towards a first league title since 2004.
For Potter, winning over his doubters must be a priority.
He was thrown into the fire when Thomas Tuchel departed South West London in September, with Todd Boehly keen to appoint the then Brighton & Hove Albion chief.
It was a bold move from Boehly.
Instead of recruiting one of the flashier, international names available, the American owner took a punt on someone homegrown.
Very rarely do Englishmen secure high profile managerial jobs, so to see Potter at the helm was certainly refreshing.
Yet, the 47-year-old still has plenty of work to do to fully justify Boehly’s decision to appoint him as Tuchel’s successor.
Arteta rates Potter
Some sections of the sport are still not sold on the new Chelsea manager, a view Arteta did not buy into.
“I don’t. I hope they don’t,” he said when asked if the media underrated Potter because of his nationality.
“We have some exceptional young English coaches and we had a lot of coaches that did so much for this league, building a history in this league for the way the game has to be played, to keep certain special things that this league needs.
“English managers have prevented the changes being too dramatic and too quick, and the essence of English football still remains here.”
English coaches remain the minority in the Premier League, with Gary O’Neill, Frank Lampard, Eddie Howe and Steve Davis the only others at large currently.
Based on this evidence, surely the media should be rating Potter even more for being to hold down a job in the first division.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
