Arsenal are closing in on making Mikel Arteta their second manager of the post-Arsene Wenger era.

Over a fortnight has passed since the axe was brought down on Unai Emery and the complex hierarchy in north London have been executing a thorough recruitment system ever since.

Experienced coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti and Massimiliano Allegri have been touted, while club legend Patrick Vieira and Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo have also been discussed.

However, everything seems to be pointing towards an imminent appointment of Arteta, especially seeing as Arsenal chiefs were photographed leaving his house in the early hours of Monday.

While all Arsenal fans seem prepared to get behind their former player, not everybody is sold on the idea of a coaching novice, albeit one who learnt under Pep Guardiola, taking the reins.

Football Manager simulation

But no matter how rigorous Arsenal's screening and interviewing policy is, there's simply no way of telling how Arteta would perform in the role unless they, well, just give it to him.

Or is that really so? Football.London have called upon the popular game Football Manager 2020 to try and predict how Arteta would fare as Arsenal manager before any announcement is made.

While the game isn't capable of predicting the future, its vast banks of data means there's no better medium in which a simulation can be created. So, what were the results?

The brief

First and foremost, Football.London simulated the current season until November 29, 2019, and used the in-game editor to sack Emery.

And because Arteta had a number of blank spaces on his profile, they inserted things like his preferred formation and coaching style based on the education he's received under Guardiola.

See below for the final result of Arteta's profile before the rest of the season was simulated all in one go.

It seems as though the Spaniard went for an attacking approach with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pepe and Mesut Ozil forming a menacing front four.

Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira helmed central midfield; Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin manned the defensive flanks; David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos were the poisons of choice at centre-back and Bernd Leno went between the sticks.

Premier League

Well, to say Arteta enjoyed a fairytale first season would be the mother of all understatements, because the simulation saw him lead Arsenal to an unimaginable second place finish.

In fact, Arsenal lost just a single Premier League match under his guidance; embarked on a 16-match unbeaten run and finished just three points behind a victorious Manchester City side.

Notable results included a 2-1 victory at Stamford as well as three points at home to Liverpool and Manchester United.

Cup competitions

Sadly, Arsenal's league form couldn't be translated into a knockout format. Tottenham knocked them out of the Carabao Cup fourth round and Liverpool beat them 2-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

As for the Europa League, Chelsea didn't reach the Champions League round of 16 in this alternate universe and they instead sent Arsenal packing for a second year on the bounce in the final eight.

GIVEMESPORT's Kobe Tong says

Go home Football Manager, you're drunk.

If Arsenal manage to finish second in the Premier League under Arteta, Ancelotti, Piers Morgan or whoever, I'll get the whole squad tattooed across my torso. You heard it here first.

Ok, in all seriousness, there's not a chance in hell that Arteta could guide Arsenal to such a stellar opening season and that's not an insult upon the Spaniard in any way at all.

I'll be the first person to endorse Arteta as Emery's replacement, but with a view of forming a long-term project - and not even a top four finish wouldn't be demanded of him this year.

It's all about moulding a philosophy and identity for the club that they've lacked in recent years and slowly rebuilding the squad a la Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

If anything, Arteta should look to replicate this dizzying Football Manager simulation when he's three or four years into the job, not three or four weeks.