Mikel Arteta has revealed that Arsenal’s players were kept in the dark about Arsene Wenger’s surprise appearance at the Emirates Stadium for their 3-1 win over West Ham on Boxing Day.
The Gunners resumed their Premier League campaign with an impressive comeback as they went a goal down against West Ham before scoring three times in the second half.
Wenger, meanwhile, was back at the Emirates for the first time since he stepped down as manager in 2018.
The 73-year-old was given a warm reception from the home supporters, with fans singing ‘there’s only one Arsene Wenger’ at one point in the second half.
And Arteta has suggested that Wenger will now be a more regular presence at Arsenal in the second half of the season.
‘The players didn’t know and we wanted to keep it quiet and allow that space for Arsene here,’ Arteta said after Arsenal’s win over West Ham.
‘And it was a really special day – thank you so much to him for coming. Hopefully, walking through the building, he’s going to feel everything that everybody thinks of him, everything that he left here.
‘His presence is something that has to be very attached to this football club. So thank you for doing that because it means a lot to everybody in the club. I’m going to go now to speak to him, hopefully he’ll be waiting for us in the dressing room.
‘Obviously, it’s great and winning means my mood is going to be much better to speak to him and be around the team. So yeah, he picked the right moment.
‘A really special day, because Boxing Day is a beautiful day to play football. And I thought the performance was at the level today that he deserves, and hopefully he will like.
‘I’ve been involved in the process, but it’s about him, the timing that he needed to make that step and hopefully, he’s going to live here and be willing to spend more time with us and be around us because he’s such an influence.
‘For me personally, my career and the way I see the game, but as well for this football club.’
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