Mikel Arteta reveals he is motivated to stepping into Wenger's shoes

Even though he was kept waiting for the top position,

Mikel Arteta

never believed that he had what it took to manage

when the

Arsene Wenger

era ended. 

The Arsenal coach took a quick pause to examine the implications of taking over a team that had been established by Wenger and nurtured in his style. 

Arteta's boldness in the face of failure influenced his decision to join the Gunners in December 2019, 18 months after he came close to being Wenger's imminent replacement.

When asked if the possibility of having to mold a club that had been headed for so long by one man had occurred to him, Arteta said:

"It did, but it was tiny in comparison with the excitement and the opportunity that I saw to join this club, and try to do what we all want to do, which was to take the club where Arsene took it at the highest level.

"That desire was much bigger than the worries of failing."

Arsenal, who play Manchester United on Saturday, are pushing for a top-four

finish under Arteta, who has been in charge for roughly two and a half seasons. 

The Red Devils have struggled to move on from the Alex Ferguson era, while Arsenal have had their own problems since the heyday of Frenchman Arsene Wenger, with their downfall commencing while he was still in charge. 

They last competed in the

in 2016-17, so returning would be a highlight for Arteta. 

Arteta was largely expected to follow Wenger in 2018, but Emery, who is presently in charge of unexpected Champions League semi-finalists

Villarreal

, was unexpectedly awarded the job.

"It was close, but things happen for a reason and it probably was too soon," Arteta told a news conference. "People made decisions, and they made a different decision."

Arsenal are now in fifth place, one point below Tottenham on goal differential and three points ahead of a United team that has played one more game. 

They are rebuilding admirably, although with a few setbacks along the way.

"The expectation this club is going to have is always to be the best, because we're going to compare all the time to the beautiful moments that we lived together here," Arteta, a former Arsenal midfielder and captain, said.

"What I'm saying is: do I really enjoy what I'm doing and how I'm doing it? Yes, because I know what we can do, what our potential is and where we want to take it.

"The rest is just fear because you're going to fail because you are looking there.

"You need to understand when you can get there and especially how you're going to do it. The 'how' is clear. It's probably a matter of time.

"But if you start to go there and try to find the 'how' when you don't have the tools to do it, I think you're going to struggle."

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