I learn a lot from Arteta — Unai Emery admits about replacement at Arsenal boss

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery recently delivered glowing praise for the sport's elite tacticians during a candid interview, admitting that he continuously learns from colleagues, including his successor at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta. 

Discussing the managerial landscape, Emery highlighted Arteta's strides in the Premier League, where the 44-year-old has transformed the Gunners from a struggling squad into relentless, perennial title contenders. 

Since replacing Emery in North London, Arteta has successfully secured the 2019/20 FA Cup along with two FA Community Shield crowns while restoring a massive level of competitiveness and identity to the Emirates Stadium. 

"Then there's Arteta's emergence in recent years, both in terms of competitiveness and his knowledge,” he said, per Goal. “I learn a lot from all three of them.”

Alongside his deep admiration for Arsenal's recent resurgence, Emery reserved his highest praise for Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, definitively labelling the Catalan tactician as "the greatest genius in the coaching world.”

Beyond the heavyweights of the Premier League, Emery utilised the interview to champion a broader renaissance of Spanish managers currently excelling across Europe's top divisions. 

Emery, who is undeniably one of the leading coaches of his generation, specifically commended his peers for their outstanding recent work. 

He lauded Luis Enrique's "unbelievable" capability in navigating the immense, unique pressures of managing PSG, a task he personally struggled with, while giving massive shoutouts to Andoni Iraola for his stellar domestic campaigns and Iñigo Pérez for guiding Rayo Vallecano to the UEFA Europa Conference League final.