Shafaqna English– Mikel Arteta is excited about his first Premier League encounter with Xabi Alonso, his childhood friend from the Basque Country, as Arsenal host Chelsea on Sunday.
Both sides have started the season strongly with maximum points from two games. Arteta, who previously faced Alonso in a 2024 friendly when Alonso managed Bayer Leverkusen, described the prospect of competing against his close friend at such a high level as a “beautiful thing” given their shared history.
While he praised Chelsea’s early attacking form, with players like Rogers, Pedro, and Palmer contributing goals, Arteta stressed that managing the game’s tempo and momentum—particularly avoiding early goals—would be key to success against Alonso’s Chelsea.
Source: Reuters