'Clever' Nuno has everyone moving in the same direction at Wolves - Arteta

London, July 4: Mikel Arteta has been impressed by Nuno Espirito Santo's "incredible job" at Wolves but believes support from the board at Molineux has been vital to his success.

Arteta prepares to face Nuno with his Arsenal side trailing Wolves in the race for Champions League qualification in the Premier League.

Wolves are sixth, just two points outside the top four, with Arteta's Gunners a further six points back in eighth.

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The Arsenal head coach spoke in glowing terms of his opposite number ahead of a crucial match on Saturday.

"[From early on at Wolves] and from the previous club that he was at [Porto], he always managed to get his teams playing the way he wanted, with a very clear philosophy," Arteta said. "You could see what he was trying to do.

"He sets up the club in a really clever way as well, where he knows exactly the players that he needs to bring in.

"The recruitment department has been, I think, really good, and he has kept the core of the team. That has given stability, and he's adding pieces all the time. That is improving the team and the squad.

"I think he is doing an incredible job."

Goal number 99, scored in the 94th minute.

The biggest scenes of Nuno's reign?

pic.twitter.com/EPYASvh8cb

— Wolves (@Wolves) July 2, 2020

Arteta has encountered issues at Arsenal, where Matteo Guendouzi is the latest star to take centre stage for the wrong reasons following a feud with Brighton and Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay.

By contrast, Wolves have united behind Nuno for three years, allowing the team to thrive on the pitch.

"I believe that that long-term plan is able to be sustainable when the people at the top as well and everybody believes that it is the right way to do things," Arteta said.

"[Wolves] can see a very clear direction of what they are trying to achieve. Everybody's convinced of that. Obviously, the results have to be supporting that idea.

"I think he had all the right ingredients, because he's been doing very, very well since he joined. Obviously, things have slowly been developing and he is where he is at the moment."