On September 6, the London Derby will take place in the third round of the Premier League, featuring Arsenal vs. Chelsea. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will face his childhood friend, Chelsea manager Xavi Alonso, on the pitch for the first time as opposing managers.

Arteta and Alonso were both born in the Basque region and trained together at Antiguoko academy. Liverpool manager Javier Iraola was also part of the group, and they have a cherished photo from those days together.

Before the match, Arteta was asked about the photo with Alonso and their friendship. Arteta said, "The story of our journey, and where we are now, is truly amazing. I mean, what are the odds of something like this happening?! That's the beauty of football."

Alonso and Arteta are both 44 years old this year, with Alonso being four months older. Arteta began his managerial career in December 2019, spending it entirely at Arsenal, leading the team to 1 Premier League title, 1 FA Cup, and 3 Community Shields.

Alonso began his managerial career in 2022, leading Bayer Leverkusen to win the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and DFL-Supercup. Last season, he was sacked midway through his tenure at Real Madrid and took over Chelsea for the new season.

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