How the Aussie Pep took Arsenal to the top

The other ‘Pep’, Aussie coach Joe Montemurro, has revealed how his infatuation with football aesthetics and obsession with goals drove his Arsenal team to the Women’s Super League title.

Source: AAP

Much like his more famous namesake at Manchester City, Montemurro, 49, is all about substance and style, with his team belting in a stunning 69 goals from just 19 games to secure the crown with a week to spare by crushing Brighton 4-0 on Sunday.

Ironically, their closest rivals this season have been the Guardiola-influenced Manchester City women, with Arsenal facing off against them in the final game of the season on Saturday.

Former Melbourne City A-League assistant Montemurro wanted to do things the “Arsenal way” ever since taking charge 17 months ago.

He has fully embraced the football ideals he developed in Melbourne and polished in London.

“We’ve done it in style, and to me that’s the most important thing,” Montemurrio told The World Game after the Brighton belting had given the Gunners an unassailable four-point buffer on City.

“This has been a special project for me at a club I supported as a young kid growing up.

“To win a championship here in such a tough league, and with the women’s game growing so fast, it’s really gratifying.

“Attractive football is what I stand for and it’s something Arsenal have been all about throughout the club for many, many years.

“So winning in that way - and emulating the class and ability the club epitomizes - was very important to us.

“We now need to make sure we get even better and build on what we’ve achieved.

“We’re very proud of this season. Manchester City have been the benchmark team of recent years and we’re now up there also.

“I’m a great believer that you can play attractive football and still win titles. Pep Guardiola has done it Manchester City.”

Having coached Melbourne City’s W-League team to an unbeaten season in 2016, after a stint in charge at Melbourne Victory, Montemurro has taken the Gunners to the final of the FA Women’s Cup and won the Continental (league) Cup.

With their first domestic league title in seven years under lock and key Montemurrio- who signed a new long-term contract extension in October - is now eyeing off UEFA Champions League success.

“That’s a special target for us now, and qualifying for that a few weeks back was a big thing for us,” he added.

“At a club like Arsenal we need to be competing at the very highest levels, not only in the WSL but also in the upper echelons of women’s football in Europe.”

With Unai Emery’s Gunners in grave danger of missing out on Champions League qualification, Montemurro has shown how it can be done.

But he laughs off comparisons with the men’s team, saying: “It’s hard to make those types of analogies.

“They’re of course at a different level, doing different things and are improving too. I’m sure success will come.

“We are all one club and we have the same ideals and way of thinking.

“But day-to-day we don’t have that much contact because we have our own things to worry about and they have theirs.”