Everton manager David Moyes praised former protege Mikel Arteta ahead of their Premier League meeting at the Emirates Stadium. The Scot reflected on bringing Arteta to English football and defended the Arsenal boss against past media criticism.
Moyes prepares for Emirates clash with former protégé
Everton manager David Moyes will go head-to-head with his former midfielder Mikel Arteta when the Toffees travel to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Moyes famously signed Arteta for Everton in January 2005, where the Spaniard spent six-and-a-half years before moving to North London.
Arteta has since built a stellar managerial career, winning the FA Cup in 2020 before guiding Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 22 years in May.
Moyes expressed pride in Arteta's achievements while reflecting on the tactical and cultural influences behind his success.
Moyes questions what Arteta took from his coaching style
Addressing how Arteta's managerial identity developed after working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Moyes pondered his own influence on the 44-year-old. "I always look and I think: ‘Mikel has had Pep, what would he take from me?’ I don’t really know," Moyes stated.
"I know how Pep works, how good his teams are and what he’s seen... But there’s a lot of other stuff like having a winning culture and a winning team."
"How you’re dealing with the players, what you’re demanding of them, the standards you set. I hope that in some way he might have taken bits of that," Moyes added.
Toffees boss slams early Arteta doubters and praises Basque influence
Moyes fiercely defended Arteta against early criticism during his tenure at Arsenal, dismissing the media pressure the Spaniard faced before delivering silverware. "I remember listening and hearing people talk about what he hadn’t done. I’m saying: ‘what a load of rubbish,’" Moyes recalled.
"He won the FA Cup at the end of the first year and folks were saying: ‘he’s not won anything.’ He’s now right up there, winning the Premier League."
Moyes also highlighted the wave of Basque managers in England, alongside Unai Emery, Andoni Iraola, and Xabi Alonso: "Look at the boys who’ve come out of the Basque Country... it looks like at the moment they’ve got the magic dust."
Arteta cemented among managerial elite
Moyes insisted that Arteta now stands alongside the finest coaches in global football as Arsenal continue to compete at the highest level in domestic and European competitions.
"He’s playing against the best teams in the Champions League," Moyes noted. "He’s right up there with the best managers in the world at the moment."
Everton visit the Emirates Stadium looking to disrupt Arteta's title-chasing Gunners in North London.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
