Former Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta has expressed his hope that the Blues get out of the current situation, proclaiming that he remains very attached to the Toffees.
The Spaniard spent 6 years at Goodison Park between 2005 and 2011, before making the move south to sign for Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal.
The 40-year-old has since become the manager of the Gunners, taking the helm in 2019 and is enjoying his best Premier League season yet, with his side topping the table, ahead of second place Manchester City by 5 points with a game in hand to boot.
With a trip to Goodison Park next up in the league, Arteta will face Everton at a desperate time for the Blues, who sit 19th in the league and are in search of a replacement manager following the sacking of Frank Lampard earlier this week.
Indeed, it is a worrying time for the Toffees, and when asked whether the current plight of his former club upsets him, Arteta stated that it does, expressing his hope that the Blues can “get out” of the current situation.
“It does (upset me) because it’s a club that I love so much, that I’m very grateful [to], very attached to and I just hope they can get to where they deserve to be and get things moving fast, get everybody on board again and hopefully get out of this situation.”
Arteta made 209 appearences in a blue jersey and was an integral member of David Moyes’ Everton side, becoming a fan favourite at Goodison Park prior to his 2011 summer departure.
No doubt he will be coming to Merseyside looking to extend his lead at the top of the Premier League table, though it could be the first match for Everton’s new manager, should one be appointed by next week’s fixture.