This season's Premier League has been filled with stories of euphoria and ecstasy, but also sadness, in greater measure than usual.
All the stories center on four coaches, namely Mikel Arteta from Arsenal, Unai Emery from Aston Villa, Michael Carrick from Manchester United, and Pep Guardiola from Manchester City.
In fact, there is still Oliver Glasner who is on the verge of leading Crystal Palace to win the European competition for the first time, Andoni Iraola who led Bournemouth to play at the European level for the first time, and Roberto de Zerbi who has the misfortune of managing Tottenham Hotspurs who are in disarray and on the verge of relegation.
But the story of Arteta, Emery, Carrick, and Guardiola, is the most interesting to tell.
These four men taught heroism, inspiration, dedication, innovation, and creativity. But only Guardiola's story is an elegy.
Let's start with Mikel Arteta.
Through a long and tiring process, Arteta managed to transform Arsenal from a team often mocked for its late-season failures into a champion club by winning the Premier League again after a 22-year wait.
He, as widely reported in the British media, has ended the "joke era" by opening a new preamble to the book of Arsenal, the champion club.
He was already on the Gunners' managerial radar in 2018, but was edged out by Unai Emery.
His journey to transform Arsenal was very winding, to the point where he even considered leaving due to the toxic environment, favoritism, and ego.
However, since July 2021, or two years after officially becoming Arsenal manager, a new era has emerged, along with the roadmap he has laid out.
At that time, he said that for Arsenal to win the title, the squad must be filled with young players, with an average age of 27 years.
He wanted a team that could be easily formed to create cohesion and also ease the financial burden on management, as young players' salaries are usually not very high.
Management was intrigued by his idea, and they released superstars like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
On the other hand, academy graduates like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe were upgraded to senior level, even young player William Saliba who was on loan to France was brought back to the Emirates Stadium.
The results began to be felt at the start of the 2022/2023 season.
He then convinced the management to recruit players who are now instrumental for Arsenal, particularly midfielder Declan Rice and goalkeeper David Raya.
