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. Artell was then nominated for the EFL League Two Manager of the Month award after they climbed the table with ten points from five games - a highlight being a 1–0 win at promotion-chasing Milton Keynes Dons. Artell admitted he had to come up with better 'coping mechanisms' after receiving four yellow cards and one sending off during the season. Reflecting on his team's progress, he said that it was a 'critical statistic' that his side failed to beat any of the bottom 11 sides away from home. Hoping to improve on a 12th-place finish, Artell released four players in the summer, whilst centre-back George Ray rejected the club's contract offer.