Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reacts to Thomas Tuchel’s sacking at Chelsea: ‘It’s not pleasant to hear that news’

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits he was ‘surprised’ by Thomas Tuchel’s sacking at Chelsea and has wished his colleague ‘the best of luck’ going forward following his departure from Stamford Bridge.

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Chelsea owner Todd Boehly marked his 100th day in charge by sacking Tuchel, with a club statement saying the owners believed it was ‘the right time’ to make a change.

Tuchel lifted three trophies during his time in the Stamford Bridge hot-seat but had overseen an underwhelming start to the season.

Chelsea, who spent more than £250m on new signings over the summer, have failed to win half of their Premier League matches and were beaten by Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League opener on Tuesday night.

Asked if he was surprised by Chelsea’s decision to sack Tuchel, Arsenal manager Arteta said: ‘I was – it was right before the training session when we got the news.

‘It’s always sad for any colleague in this profession to get fired. Unfortunately, we know how this works. I wish him the best of luck. It’s not pleasant to hear that news.’

Asked if Tuchel’s sacking makes him appreciate the stability he currently has at Arsenal, Arteta added: ‘What it makes me realise is what I always told you: that we have a profession that at some stage, this [can] happen.

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‘We have to prevent it, enjoy the journey and enjoy every day, because you never know when that’s coming.’

Tuchel was appointed as Frank Lampard’s replacement at Chelsea in January 2021 and guided the Blues to their second Champions League trophy just four months later.

Chelsea would later win the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup later