Mikel Arteta saw his side defeat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 and after the victory our boss faced the press at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel gave an update on his injury and commented on our victory, thanks to a strike from Martin Odegaard and an own goal from Georginio Rutter.
Read every word Mikel said after our clash against the Seagulls below.
on today’s victory:
Very happy with the performance, individual and collective, so dominant. We posed a big threat, so we were very happy with all of that. But the margins should have been much higher. I mean, with the number of situations, chances, open chances that we generated throughout the game, it should never be 2-1. But this is the Premier League, this is the step we have to take. I think from their first shot they scored the goal and then David has to make another save to maintain the result. But what I love is that we have a lot of problems, we deal with them in an incredible way. Yesterday we lost Jurrien, today we lost Calafiori in the warm-up, Declan has to play as a full-back and you see the performance he put in. So, that’s the spirit and that’s how much our players want it.
on having to dig deep with the number of wounds we have:
I don’t know, so far we have survived six months. So, let’s see, there are still five and a half years to go. So I hope things improve. Good news too, for example, we received Gabi earlier than expected, which is great. The medical staff, I think they did an amazing job, the way they go above and beyond as well, that’s what we need because we lost one and we got someone else back. Overall I think the performance against a very good team was very, very good.
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Report: Arsenal 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
on if injuries unite the group:
Yes, because there are also injuries with Jurrien, he landed awkwardly and there is something with Richy too, very very strange. But you talk to Declan and tell him he has to play there as a right winger and he said, OK, I’m up for the challenge, I’m going to do my best and the attitude is great to see.
on maintaining our lead at the top despite Manchester City’s victory:
We can only control what we do, and we do a lot of good things that I think we also need to improve to have better margins. We also need more players to have better options and keep the team very, very fresh. Every three days it will be a challenge and we are ready to take it on.
on whether a big win will come with the way we play:
We have to because we have a lot of quality. What I like is the way we play, the way we produce, the players’ willingness to take that initiative, that aggressiveness to make things happen, because they’re a very, very difficult team to play against and I think we played very well for the majority of the game.
on the need to be reactive when a player is injured during warm-up:
No, this is something we have prepared for because we know it can happen. When I give the line-up, I always tell the boys and the day before, be ready because it’s football, it’s the Premier League and anything can happen. Someone can have a bug and an hour later they can’t play anymore and you have to be in the right mental state to be able to play immediately and not experience that disappointment and that’s what players do.
on Calafiori’s injury:
It’s something he felt yesterday, it’s something very embarrassing that happened and today in the warm-up he wasn’t comfortable.
on the last time we felt comfortable in a match:
Comfortable in this league? It’s a big word. When the score is bigger, but hopefully I won’t have to use it as often.
lit if he feels nervous energy:
Yes, because when you conceded a goal in the last minute, the match before against [Crystal] Palace too when we didn’t really concede anything, then they scored with the first shot they had. That’s obviously the case, but we also have to be able to get through this with normalcy, with composure and understanding that you’re not doing very well, you’re not effective in the opponent’s book, so you have to be incredibly good in yours and that’s a good way to get through that as well.
on the nervousness of the crowd:
It’s a desire to win! We all want to win so much. Now I don’t want to lose what I have and we have to play to keep scoring and show that composure and ability and we should have scored the third. We have two huge chances to make it 3-1 and it would have been different. This is not the case, so we have to suffer a little more.
on whether it’s sustainable to be emotional in games:
Yes, on my side, yes.
activated if there is a ripple effect:
If you win. I think you win, you learn, and you start again. The ripple effect of victory is incredibly powerful.
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