Mourinho: Arteta wouldn't be at Arsenal if he wasn't talented
Jose Mourinho has defended Mikel Arteta's prowess as a manager, saying the Spaniard wouldn't be in charge at Arsenal if he wasn't a talented coach.
Questions have been raised recently over Arteta's tenure at Arsenal which has lasted around a year now, and whether the team has actually progressed under his management compared to his predecessor, Unai Emery.
At the moment, the Gunners are 14th in the Premier League with 13 points taken from a possible 30.
They have one of the worst goalscoring records in the league, too, averaging just one goal per game.
Recent defeats at home against Aston Villa and Wolves has seen the pressure increase even more on Arteta's shoulders.
However, he has received some encouraging words from an unlikely ally in Mourinho, who cites the FA Cup win at the end of last season as a sign of Arteta's talents.
"He is a good coach. He is a talented coach," the Spurs manager told Sky Sports.
"He won already an important competition in the first few months of his career; that we cannot deny.
"To be the Arsenal coach, you have to be good - if you are not good, you are not there.
"So yes, I think Mikel is a good coach but I want to respect the others - especially the others that I don't know well and probably are also very talented."
Things have been much more promising on the European front for the Gunners this season as they are currently top of Europa League Group B, having won every one of their four matches so far.
They take on Rapid Vienna on Matchday Five on Thursday.