Cesc Fabregas has backed Arsenal to continue challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title next season, claiming that Mikel Arteta is ‘creating a monster’.
Arsenal suffered disappointment on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday as City sealed a 3-1 win at home to West Ham to be crowned champions for the fourth campaign in a row.
Arteta’s side ended up two points behind Pep Guardiola’s men but Fabregas believes City have not received enough credit for their historic success in the Premier League.
‘It’s still an achievement,’ Fabregas told El Larguero.
‘They don’t give it that much attention either because it’s, ‘oh, they always win’, but it’s very difficult, very difficult.
‘They have a lot of money and they have the best players but it is also very difficult because you are competing in the Champions League against Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona.
‘In the Premier League, Arsenal are creating a monster too and they [City] continue to beat them and compete well and it’s not the end.
‘My admiration comes from knowing what I do now and how much work does not stop to continue improving and analysing and creating game plans, what they do at the highest level every three days and switching from cup competitions to the league is amazing and I hope that one day I have the opportunity to be on the same pitch as them.’
When asked what he learned during his time under Wenger at Arsenal, Fabregas said: ‘How to be a manager.
‘Like now I am lucky to be experiencing something unique because when I know when I leave I will be a normal coach.
‘In the club where I work now I am lucky to control everything a little bit. The truth is that I think a lot not about how Arsene was the manager but how to control everything when it comes to scouting, how to manage staff, where to get your staff, how to control different groups, how to create a work culture within the club to make the whole family grow together.’
Asked what he took from playing under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, Fabregas said: ‘How to manage the dressing room.
‘How to play with the players’ heads. He is the coach who has known the best how to play with my mind, both when I was not well or when I was.
‘He always made me feel the best and this is very important as I am seeing it day by day now.’
