‘I have been outcasted at Arsenal – this is what Mikel Arteta is really like to play for’

Albert Sambi Lokonga has heaped praise connected Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and his methods, contempt the midfielder struggling for game-time since his determination to the Emirates successful 2021

Arsenal flop Albert Sambi Lokonga has fixed an penetration into what it's similar to enactment with Mikel Arteta, describing him arsenic a "very intense" individual.

The Belgian midfielder, who signed for the Gunners successful 2021 pursuing a standout spell astatine Anderlecht, spoke highly of the Arsenal manager during a chat with Relevo, revealing he's learned much from Arteta than immoderate different brag successful his career.

Despite being initially hailed arsenic a apical talent, the one-time Belgium planetary recovered it challenging to unafraid a regular spot successful Arsenal's archetypal team. After tallying 19 appearances successful his debut season, Lokonga has been connected indebtedness astatine Crystal Palace, Luton Town, and currently Sevilla, wherever he's precocious returned from a recurring hamstring wounded and could yet articulation connected a imperishable ground for a small implicit £10m.

His travel has been acold from easy, but Lokonga showed thing but praise for Arteta's attack to the game. He elaborate his acquisition astatine the Emirates and gave props to the Spaniard for his authenticity by saying: "He's very, precise intense. And precise genuine too.

"He's the 1 I've worked with the most, and besides learned from," revealed Lokonga astir Arteta. "He's ever determination if you privation to talk, but erstwhile you're connected the pitch, helium is precise demanding. But that's the lone mode to negociate a squad similar Arsenal. There's a batch of pressure. People are utilized to winning. And it's normal. It's Arsenal."

Switching from a regular relation astatine Anderlecht to being a squad subordinate for Arsenal was a hard transition, confessed Lokonga, who shared however taxing the power was arsenic helium yet go outcasted with small crippled clip for the Gunners. "It was precise hard due to the fact that each I wanted was to play. I deliberation it was 1 of the astir challenging moments of my career, though I learned a lot," helium said (via the Express).

Explaining the value of resilience done the bully times and bad, Lokonga stressed: "Thanks to each that, I'm present today," emphasising the worth successful embracing lessons from each twist and turn. "You request to larn from that. Absorb everything you tin and determination forward. Don't enactment behind. And that's what I'm doing."

Throughout his clip astatine Arsenal, Lokonga has clocked up 39 appearances crossed competitions, and it was a unsmooth play for his genitor cub, who faced decision to Bournemouth connected Saturday (October 19). William Saliba's first-half reddish paper near the Gunners a antheral down for overmuch of the game, culminating successful a shocking 2-0 nonaccomplishment distant from home.

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