Arsenal boss Arteta on Giovagnoli's Dundalk: 'They have created a really good chemistry that has given them a big boost'

Mikel Arteta will go head-to-head with the relatively unknown as the Spaniard leads his Arsenal team against Filippo Giovagnoli’s Dundalk side on Thursday night at the Emirates Stadium.

You could not have two more contrasting sides. Arsenal are valued at approximately just under €2 billion, their chief shareholder is Stan Kroenke who has a major hand in other sports franchises such as the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL and the Colorado Rapids of the MLS, to name just a few.

Dundalk’s valuation is significantly less, but we don’t need to tell our readers that. The great thing about football is that even after the influx of plenty of eye-watering sums of money, 22 players will take to the field, an XI from Dundalk and XI from Arsenal, equality in times of hyper-capitalism.

As one side can afford to pay a player €385,000 a week who cannot even make the 25-man squad, Dundalk earned €110,000 in prize money last year for winning the domestic title.

The Lilywhites travel to London on the back of some average domestic form, the defeat last Sunday in Waterford a symptom of their season. The Gunners will welcome Giovagnoli’s side off the back of a home defeat by Leicester City.

The modern game now relies on hordes of video analysts, scouts, coaches, and websites such as Wyscout. Due to their budget, Arsenal can afford to invest heavily in these areas whereas Dundalk can employ Giuseppe Rossi and Shane Keegan to study opponents.

Arteta has studied the unheralded Italian, the Basque is known for intrinsically analysing the opposition. Giovagnoli will provide a new challenge to the fledgling Arsenal head coach. 

“I think it's a great story and linking different backgrounds and different countries into that history is a good one to hear,” said Arteta speaking at Wednesday’s pre-match press conferene.

“I watched a long interview with him because I wanted to know who he is, what he is trying to do and what he is trying to express to his players.

“This is where I found out what happened and straight away, he said he could feel that the players believed in what they were doing, which is everything that a coach wants.



"I think they have created a really good chemistry that has given them a big boost from last season. Big merit to them for the work that they are doing,” said Arteta. 

Dundalk have altered their style of play since the replacement of Vinny Perth and are expected to perhaps change their shape to a three central defensive partnership to combat the lightning quick speed of the Arsenal attackers.

Arteta has been aided by having some Irish staff to aid his knowledge of the Lilywhites and has been watching the Louth-men closely.

“We've got some Irish staff here and there are a lot of positive things about them. From what I've seen they've got a really determined coach that has found a really good cohesion with the team. You can see in every reaction when they are playing, how united they are.”

“They're really well organised, they make it really hard and they will be coming here with incredible passion.

"They're underdogs and that will give them a lot of energy and I expect them to be at full gas tomorrow, trying to beat us here.”



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