Bacary Sagna claims that he “always knew” that Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and Burnley boss Vincent Kompany would become managers.
The former France international is an ex-teammate of both Arteta and Kompany and, speaking to Paddy Power, Sagna said there are plenty of similarities between the pair:
“Playing alongside Mikel Arteta and Vincent Kompany I always knew both would go on to become managers. They both had that edge and they loved talking about football the whole time.”
“They were both great leaders and motivators and they understood the needs of the team. Kompany was very charismatic, and he always had the right attitude. They both had qualities to be captains as players, and I’m not surprised seeing them manage teams today.”
“It’s a bit more difficult for Kompany as he has a bigger task to achieve at Burnley, but he did really well last season and he’s doing a good job. Mikel Arteta brought Arsenal back to their best and they’re two very good managers.”
Arteta and Kompany face each other this weekend
Kompany’s Burnley side travel to the Emirates to face the Gunners on Saturday afternoon, but the home side will very much be favourites for the win.
Despite losing to Newcastle last time out in the league, Arteta’s men are just 3 points off the top of the table in fourth.
In contrast, the Clarets are currently 19th, having picked up only one win and one draw from 11 games. They will be coming into the match this weekend having lost their sixth consecutive home game. It is the first time in top-flight history that a team has failed to score a single point in their first six home fixtures.
They have fared slightly better on the road, but Arsenal will be expected to secure a victory tomorrow.
