 Crewe's form improved following Exeter though, as ten points from a possible 18 took them over the 40 point mark by 20 March.On 5 May 2018, Artell selected a starting 11 who were all Crewe Academy graduates against Cheltenham Town and was picked as EFL manager of the week after his team won 2–1.Despite opening the season with a 6–0 thumping of Morecambe that earned Artell the opening EFL manager of the week award, Crewe struggled in the first half of the 2018–19 season.