{
  "id": 5911427,
  "title": "Old friends Arteta and Alonso rekindle Premier League rivalry as Arsenal meet Chelsea",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/old-friends-arteta-and-alonso-rekindle-premier-league-rivalry-as",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-06T05:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/old-friends-arteta-alonso-rekindle-050000567.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso, two childhood friends and former Everton and Liverpool players respectively, have reignited their Premier League rivalry as they prepare to face each other as managers of Arsenal and Chelsea. The two met in San Sebastian, where they grew up and played beach football as young children. They later joined the same football club, Antiguoko, becoming teammates and learning from a common youth coach.\n\nArteta and Alonso, born just four months apart, shared a bond forged in the competitive Merseyside derbies. Both have achieved great success in their careers, with Alonso winning numerous titles for Spain and Liverpool, while Arteta won the Scottish League title and two FA Cups at Arsenal. Despite their professional rivalry, Arteta has praised Alonso's courage in achieving success abroad, stating that it is remarkable to see a player translate their skills to a club and achieve their goals.\n\nAs they prepare to face each other at the start of what could be a defining rivalry, Arteta remains confident that Chelsea has the ingredients to be title contenders. He acknowledges that their friendship will remain intact, though it will be more difficult to maintain in the public eye due to their busy schedules. Both managers recognize the significance of this fixture, as it will shape the landscape of the upcoming season.",
  "summary": "Arteta and Alonso grew up living just minutes apart in San Sebastian and played for the same local team. On Sunday they clash as managers of two rival title contenders",
  "key_points": [
    "Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso, childhood friends, now manage Arsenal and Chelsea",
    "Rivalry will shape upcoming season, despite difficulty maintaining friendship in public eye"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Wright believes Morgan Rogers ‘would have loved’ Arsenal move before Chelsea transfer",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/wright-believes-morgan-rogers-would-have-loved-arsenal-move-before",
        "published": "2026-09-06T06:20:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}