A month ago, David Luiz gifted Manchester City two goals in a gaffe-ridden 21-minute cameo at the Etihad that ended with him getting sent off and Arsenal losing 3-0.
Tonight, at Wembley, he was masterful in defence as the Gunners defied the odds to beat Pep Guardiola’s side 2-0 to secure a place in the FA Cup final.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will get the headlines for his brilliant brace but for Luiz, this was a true redemption story.
After the match, he faced the BT Sport cameras and was quick to praise his teammates.
Here’s what he had to say…
On the win…
It was a great result against one of the best teams in the world. We just did that because we were humble, we understood the way we have to play. We took the opportunities to score and we had to be mature to understand which level we are in the process. We are in the process, a good process, we have an amazing coach who wants to bring the best football for this club but it’s not zero to one hundred. We have to understand that day-by-day. We are improving, the spirit was great and I’m happy for the team because this team deserved that.
On the defending…
Yeah, I think all the team defended. It’s not just the last line and the goalkeeper, the team understood modern football that everybody has to defend, everybody has to fight, everybody has to have the spirit, everybody has to play every ball 100 per cent. I’m happy with this.
On scoring a great first goal…
That’s why I say, we’re in part of the process. We could do more in the game [like that] so it would maybe be easier…to keep the ball and not run all the time like we did. The team [City] is miles away in front of us but we were humble, so when you play also we can hurt the opponent and we did it.
On the criticism the team received after the last meeting in June…
A lot of criticism of me…we can say that. It’s part of football. I understood during my career that football is about survival. Every day you’re going to defend your team and the other people are going to support different teams. So it’s about surviving. It’s what I did. I was working hard every single day after my mistakes. I took the blame. I was mature enough to understand that and I was humble to work more for the team.
On going to the final…
We have a final to play this season. We’re going to try to win a title for this club. This club needs to shine again.
I know, I know, it doesn’t matter. We won. That’s fucking rad. But Steve McManaman behaved like a right prick tonight. From the first whistle he started sneering his preordained bullshit narrative – Arsenal are shit, Arsenal are mistake prone, Arsenal are weak mentally. After 4 mins he scoffed “Arsenal haven’t got out of their own half!” in his stupid outraged prepubescent soprano. It’s such lazy punditry. It’s so cliched. He didn’t even wait to see what we were doing tactically. Then we scored and he went quiet for about ten minutes. And second half he wouldn’t shut up about… Read more »
My favourite moment was when he said “you have to lose semi-finals to get to finals”.
Look on the bright side, at least it’s not Michael Owen any more.
Good post. I could never stand that little cunt and his blatant anti-Arsenal bias. Whatever the media paid him, it was too fucking much. He was a vastly overrated player, who was only good for third rate breakfast cereal ads. The little cunt.
Hi! Watched it on DAZN Germany . They said it was deserved. Lucky at times but Arsenal desered the luck. Andere that we nullified them in the center.
Probably sore because we beat liverpool
and/or just a nob
a sore nob
‘a poundland talksport call in’ – bloody brilliant mate.
Behaved like a right prick..tonight.. ? It’s news when he’s not being prick. My heart sank when I heard his awful whining phlegm-spluttering drone pipe up at the beginning of the game. If you gave me a classified secret, I’d give it up after a torturous hour of being made to listen to “”banter”” between him, John Hartson and Michael Owen. Ex-footballers rarely make the best pundits, I think that’s clear to everyone. I remember when Tim Vickery joined Alan Shearer on BBC Sport, Shearer had a glimpse of what real punditry was. The confused, overwhelmed face he made as… Read more »
Here in the States on ESPN, one pundit gave a rating of C to Arteta when asked to Grade his season so far. How I wish I could give all these pundits a rating of F for “Fuck you!”
Is the problem that too many arsenal players are on the pitch?
You’re lucky it was Chris Waddle. He’d have been shouting “pelanty” when Mustafi dived in!
Chris no-medals Waddle. Another prize cunt.
Great comment
After 5 minutes, I finally found a good stable stream…. Then I heard Carragher’s voice… Like who thought that was a good idea? Mute wasnt enough. Luckily I found a stream with crowd noise and pitch sounds, no commentary. What a joy it was!
The bloke is too insignificant for words. He’s as much a joke as that curly 90’s wig he still insists on wearing. The scouse twat.
from being red carded and ridiculed to being a leader and defensively godly ! take a bow luiz.
And note both were against the same opponents!
More of these “Modern Football” please
Can’t keep calm….the bald twat had no answer to THE ARSENAL questions…give Auba the money, blank cheque for Arteta
I hope!
Really would love to know what he said to Maitland-Niles at the end of the game … Bravo, team!
I guess he told Niles we still had miles to go
Arteta gave AMN the biggest hug too, lifted him off the ground. It eas curious with all this transfer talk going around.
He was immense today. Great performance. With all the mistakes he had in past, he justified his signing today. I hope he plays like this more often and don’t have those Luiz’s moments.
He was brilliant tonight. Such a transformation in such a short time!
He was deep in conversation with AMN after the whistle. He looked to be congratulating and egging him on. For a right footed player to slot in at LB could be nightmarish, AMN did well, grew into the game, made some important blocks/tackles. His passing/crossing in the attacking sense left much to be desired but he worked his socks off. A handy player that can play multiple positions, needs to work on his consistency. Arteta understood the need to contain this particular threat and took a bold call. Hector looks like he has lost his legs, a true pity. Otherwise… Read more »
Just for that talk at the end I’d pay Luiz his big bucks every week. The way him, Xhaka and Auba have assumed the leadership mantle is very heartening. They aren’t necessarily great players but we need them to help mentor our young world-beaters. Wide smiles, cool heads and easy hugs instead of the frustration, anger and non-chalance of Fabregas, Van Persie and Ramsey.
Luiz is a genius at interviews.
Give that man credit. HUGE performance today.
And I like the way he can admit he’s effed up, but he keeps fighting.
Well done, sir.
Anyone else notice that Qwalitee is deathly quiet….
And Rich hasn’t been heard from for a while — still lamenting Emery’s departure and ruing just how right Arteta is proving to be.
Arsene knew, Arteta is knowing! Hope Wenger makes it to wembley to cheer up his boy Arteta he sent on loan at City to learn the job.
Well done David Luiz. Best performance in an Arsenal shirt by a mile. Xhaka was also looking like true captain material with his commitment. Fuck it, the whole team did great. We were never going to outplay them but we were the better team in the first half and defensively rock solid in the second. That puts a bright spot on a turd of a season. Now let’s finish the job with the cup.
Found an interview with Ex player Karen Carney the other day…That and some of the rumours from the young players at Chelseas academy and Now Arsenal and on todays performance its understandable why they gave this guy another year.
I hope we don’t lose him to Chelsea like we lost Cech. We can put him in the Gunnasaurus suit if we have no place in the staff room.
Player ratings please…….I beg you
Can you just fucking imagine where we’d be now with Arteta having had the time and money Unai did (not that Unai was swimming in it, he was sorely underfunded too but relatively)? But we have to try and find the silver lining and I think a side that builds from the right foundations sets itself up for any challenge. We’ve now shown against two of the best sides in the world that we can hold our own defensively if every single person pulls their weight in the same direction. As David rightly said, we’re not there yet, there being… Read more »
Don’t get ahead of yourself. Some things have to happen for other things to follow.
Great game today by the lads!
There’s a real grit about our defence that is both assuring and pleasing.
Let’s put an even better shift in the finals.
I am convinced David Luiz and Virgil van dijk have switched bodies
This is a feel good win and two in a row (albeit Liverpool were second gear, same cannot be said of City) It certainly will qualify us for europa and make the transfer position stronger for Arteta IF we win the final match. BUT it sshould not guise us from shortcomings. We are still dire in league and positi0on despite half a season’s improvements. Clearly some players stepped up today (Pepe, AMN) but we will need better from them and consistency. Also I feel generally we have m,ore joy with bigger clubs that come at us and open space behind… Read more »
This club need to SHINE AGAIN good statement
Jesus this guy is actually going to make me love him. Fucking love it!
I am happy i am one of few that have always backed this man. He was a beast in that defense today. Kudos to Luiz.
We’re going to try and win a title for this club. This club needs to shine again! I fucking love this line. What an attitude
That’s that my boss