Mikel Arteta was a happy man at the end of our 2-1 win over West Ham this evening, but with the result, not the performance. He spoke to Sky Sports about it after the final whistle, and this is what he had to say.
The performance versus the result.
I am really happy with the three points, and it’s a game to analyse properly because we have a lot of issues that we created ourselves in many moments. It reminded me of the game we played against them last season, we let them run.
There is no structure in the world that can sustain when someone has the ball completely free and gives it to the opponent. So, we have to improve in many things.
Do you feel you got away with it?
Yes, but I think we created enough chances to win the game, but we conceded too many chances that were our fault. Basically we scored two wonder goals again, I think. What I like is the approach in the last 25 minutes when I could see them going a little bit down, they lifted it up and probably a few months ago we would have drawn or lost that game – today we won it.
At the end you have to find a way because throughout the season you’re going to have games like this. I know David really well and the kind of games he proposes – they are hard to beat.
Does it underline the quality Arsenal have in attack?
Absolutely, and we don’t want to rely on that too much. There are some processes that need to be done better and today we had, in many moments, problems to resolve some situations. But again, we always look a threat because of the players we have up front.
Sending on Eddie who scored – is that a manager’s dream?
We know what Eddie can bring. He’s a goalscorer, he has a great sense of where the ball is going to land. It was a really good combination and … three points.
Is there satisfaction from taking all three points when you know you can play better?
Yes, but again I always said it’s not going to go like that [upwards gesture] and we need games like this as well to understand the things we need to do better. But probably they trained the best week since I’ve been here in terms of understanding what the game requires and positions with the ball, but in the first 15 minutes are the worst we’ve played with the ball since I’ve been here.
I just love the clarity of this man’s thoughts. We’ve got a proper footballing brain dictating how we play football. I have a real sense of optimism in a long long time (since the the Welbeck goal vs Leicester in 2014 to be precise)
Hahaha! Agreed that that Welbeck goal vs Leicester was the last time I was 100% optimistic about Arsenal, until recently under Arteta! That goal was in 2016 not 2014, although it does seem more than just four years ago 🙂
Lol. my bad
I still can’t believe we didn’t win the league that year. You would have though that goal would be the perfect catalyst to finish the seasons strong and overtake them…
After those first fifteen minutes, I thought Arsenal were exactly as Arteta wants for the rest of the half (well, until the last minute of the half). Looked very assured, very confident, lots of energy. So, maybe 30 minutes of sustained excellent play and brief interludes after.
Holding only completes 50% of his forward passes and he gets beaten by pacy players in one on ones. He’s not at the required level and he never will be. Xhaka can’t receive the ball under pressure and opponents run past him so easily it’s embarrassing. Kolasinac is a poor full back and a stupendously poor centre half. Better teams punish these players and we lose today. Saka played two delightful passes, but aside from that he was poor. Lacazette, other than the goal was very poor. Willian just ambled his way through this game and needed much more effort.… Read more »
Well you’re a bundle of laughs
Its a comment. Is that not what this site is for?
Exactly, apart from 1 or 2 teams the PL has a lot of good sides on their day, we under performed but got 3 points something we never got, put this one to bed and let’s march on.
He’s a right of course, but it’s still funny….sometimes you just gotta enjoy the win! COYG
Yes, but it is hard to actually disagree with what he says. We are an improving team but far from the finished article.
Rob may improve, and Saka undoubtedly will – he is probably a bit short of real match time in the last few months. But the problems with Kola and Xhaka will not just go away. Xhaka has actually been pretty good in his role under Mikel but he will never be a world beater.
Anyway, welcome 3 points
Holding n xhaka also willan n belerin (to many miss pass this match) case was easily resolve by Elneny
Like or not his position awareness, and one touch pass was easily relieved when we’re under attack
He never do anything flashy like cabelos but he always ready to receive pass and recycling the ball very quickly to step up the tempo
It is interesting that without Elneny we produced “the worst we’ve played with the ball since I’ve been here.”
Hard to pin the poor performance on any one thing though. Tierney was a massive miss also.. hopefully that’s not anything serious.
Elneny played just two games since Arteta came here.
I wouldn’t be too Harsh on Rob. He was brought in as an old style defender and is not doing too bad trying to adjust to Arteta’s high-tech football demands.
More than likely he will end up as backup and he played really well last week.
Top sides find ways to win games even when they don’t play well. Today’s performance was below par but is still a sign of a winning mentality in the dressing room.
Yes, but we’re not a top side (at least not yet) and this is a trend of playing down to opponents. At some point we have to realise this is a result of personnel. The formation also got exposed without the versatility and flexibility of Tierney and AMN. Chalk up another example of not being able to control the game and the midfield battle against a mid-to-lower table team. We got lucky and we aren’t go to ride our luck into the top 4. We need 1 preferably 2 new midfielders…ASAP. Otherwise this is just how it goes for the… Read more »
His Cheshire Cat grin at the start of the interview made me laugh. What a guy
Top man – open, fair and honest. We’re so lucky to have him.
He needs more far backing in the transfer market from the owner. Simple as that.
Honest appraisal. He knows we’ll have to do better than that to try and get a top 4 finish. We rode our luck and got the points this time but that won’t always be the case.
Got away with one today. Not sure we’re quite ready for 4 at the back yet, even at home. Seem more solid with 3 centre backs and and 2 wing backs. Lots of things to improve on. You can see why Arteta wants a player like Auoar. Someone that is technically good, has good vision and is agile enough to beat the first man in the centre of the pitch. Saka not quite ready for that role yet but he’ll learn from games like today and be better for it. Still, delighted with the 3 points. Winning, however it comes… Read more »
[ thumbs Upward gesture]
More Saturday 8pm kick offs please! This morning was sweet, I usually watch the games on catch-up before the house is awake (I get up early) but this morning was a rare chance to watch a live game on a Sunday morning, 5am kick-off. My little boy woke up early, no doubt because of all the shouting and swearing he could hear from downstairs. We watched the last 10 minutes together. And he saw his first ever live Arsenal goal. So fitting that it was our wonderkid striker who scored it. He celebrated like a gooner. A game to remember!… Read more »
Great one for your memories!
Watched in Okinawa 4 am. Didn’t bring the kiddos into this one lol. When they’re young and you’re trying to convince them of the worth of football there’s certain games I’m glad they miss.
I hear you there. He’s been going to school with an Arsenal bag for the last two years lol, but I don’t think he ever really understood until this morning. I think he gets it now!
These evening games are awesome for us expats, I can only think the Premier League sees the upside in having more.
Hope all is well over there. Cheers
Try keeping watching Arsenal matches with your son everytime. Might be lucky for us.
I’m gonna try, he might start being dragged out of bed at 2am for big games. Schools not that important really.
Back down to earth. As mentioned we need to be able to prosecute a good level through 38 matches not one offs here and there. Today was patchy with many players not at their best with passing. The giveaway goal you could see coming a mile off. We were disorganized and not picking up players enough and particularly infuriating considering 2 minutes to half time when we should know better to lock it down at the back. I don’t think the loss of Tierney was particularly the problem but a series of small errors the result. Maybe Kolasinac could have… Read more »
It wasn’t only Holding losing the ball unforced. Saka, Ceballos, Xhacka and Kolisinac turned the ball over several times with errant passes directly to the other team. Arsenal’s midfield was outplayed again.
“There is no structure in the world that can sustain when someone has the ball completely free and gives it to the opponent. ” This quote by Arteta reflects really well on what happen today.
That’s the truth mate – to be honest Cebellas though he assisted but he had a bad game together with Sead and Xhaka – strikers were left isolated nobody to feed them – great game to saka who orchestrated both the goals
goes to show just how important Tierney and AMN are to making this 5-2-3 (or 3-4-3) formation function. There was an alarmingly large hole in the middle of the pitch between mids and attack. Also our wing backs were poor defensively. Hammers had way too much time and space in wide areas to not only cross but drive in behind too.
Wish Arteta had felt confident enough to switch to a standard back four (AMN at LB) with an extra midfielder (Saka) to help control the game and link up play yesterday, but he got the result despite the poor performance. It should send warning bells throughout the club though.
Kolasinac. He is probably a decent bodyguard/tank (for live-action adaptations of Role Playing Games). Not so much as a left-back/LWB, though.
So yes, there will be ups and downs this season. We all know that. So no surprise about yesterday’s performance. But we all (or most of us) stand behind arteta and his team. I’m sure there will be some improvements in the squad but this dont change that we will see some bad performances the season. The team is already progressing faster than we thought under arteta. Just let them work and be patient. I really like what arteta has to say about it: We also need games like this to understand the things we need to do better… Let’s… Read more »