Did Erik ten Hag do as manager better than Mikel Arteta?

We examine in detail how Erik ten Hag's statistics from their first two seasons at Arsenal, in comparison to Mikel Arteta, supported Manchester United's choice to retain him as manager during the summer. But the move didn’t last long as the Dutchman was fired last Sunday after yet another disappointing start to the season.

Following an emotionally turbulent 2023–24 season, the Dutchman's future was seriously in doubt. Manchester United suffered the shame of their worst-ever Premier League season, losing 14 games overall before finishing in eighth position, after they were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League and European competition before Christmas.

Remarkably, however, Ten Hag was able to muster his team and they defied the record book in the FA Cup final, defeating Manchester City 2-1 at Wembley to earn a second trophy of the Dutchman's reign while also denying Pep Guardiola's team the opportunity to win the double double.

During their initial two years in command, Mikel Arteta and Ten Hag managed 86 games. Arteta won 47 of those bouts, while Ten Hag won 53, giving him the advantage. Arteta has 16 draws to his name within that same time frame, while Ten Hag has done so nine times. However, with only 23 losses as opposed to Ten Hag's 25, Arteta has the fewest. On the other hand, Ten Hag leads the points per game column with an average of 1.95 per game, while Arteta's average is 1.83.

Did Erik ten Hag deserve more time as Manchester United manager?

Importantly, Erik ten Hag leads in the number of trophies won, and the FA Cup makes him the second most successful United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013, along with Jose Mourinho. Arteta only won one trophy, but the two are more than he did.

There have been significant bad days, such as 4-0 losses at Crystal Palace as well as 3-0 home losses to Bournemouth, based on these statistics. Ten Hag probably should have been given some additional time before being dismissed.