For Mikel Arteta, the North London Derby will be the 7th time this season that Arsenal faces a team led by a new coach who has their first or second match in the Premier League. So in the previous 6 times, how did the "Gunners" perform?
In such times, Arsenal usually overcome quite easily when they have won 5/6 matches. The 3-0 victory at home at the Emirates against Nottingham Forest on September 13, 2025 is the first match in 39 short days Ange Postecoglou has led the City Ground team. Postecoglou replaced Nuno Espirito Santo 4 days before the match and Nottingham's starting lineup only had one change compared to the last match Nuno led (the 3-0 defeat to West Ham on August 31, 2025).
Nuno Santo replaced Graham Potter as West Ham's head coach on September 27, 2025. In his 2nd match leading "The Hammers" on October 4, 2025, he traveled with the team to the Emirates and lost 0-2.
Belgian club Club Bruges sacked coach Nicky Hayen on December 9, 2025 and replaced him with Croatian coach Ivan Leko. On December 10, 2025, Club Bruges hosted Arsenal in the Champions League. Arteta's team won easily 3-0.
Next is the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals, Liam Rosenior's 2nd match as coach and the first match for The Blues he has led at Stamford Bridge. Rosenior used a 4-2-3-1 formation like his predecessor Enzo Maresca but lacked key midfielders Moises Caicedo (suspended) and Cole Palmer, as well as captain Reece James.
Arsenal won 3-2 and Rosenior admitted that there is still a lot of work to be done. He told Sky Sports: "I have only worked with the team for 6 days.
Michael Carrick is the only coach on this list who has prevented Arsenal from winning. The 44-year-old coach was appointed interim coach of Manchester United on January 13, 2025 and 4 days later led the "Red Devils" to an overwhelming 2-0 victory over Man City at Old Trafford.
Carrick continued to have another impressive performance when defeating Arsenal 3-2 at the Emirates, in the context that Man United continued to use a 4-2-3-1 formation to replace Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3.
Wigan Athletic sacked coach Ryan Lowe on February 7, 2026 and replaced him with Glenn Whelan. The League One representative lost heavily to Arsenal 0-4 in the 4th round of the FA Cup last Sunday.
This is the 7th time we have faced a new coach this season, so Arsenal is used to it. The coaching staff has had very detailed research and analysis of the teams he has worked with before, thereby understanding the tactical intentions and different formations" - Mikel Arteta shared when asked about the confrontation with Igor Tudor.
Arsenal's only difficulty in this match is identified as being the hostile atmosphere in the Tottenham Stadium stands. As for the habit of winning against new coaches from the beginning of the season, Arteta and his students are expected to win in a context where they are no longer allowed to stumble when Man City has approached.
