Mikel Arteta was very pleased with the way his side approached Leeds United as a hat-trick from captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped Arsenal to a 4-2 win at the Emirates.
After the game, the boss faced the Sky Sports cameras. Here’s what he had to say…
On the win…
I’m very pleased with the result and very, very happy with the performance, especially in the first half against a fantastic team that make life so difficult for you. They really put some really high demands in every action whether it’s with or without the ball. I think we handled that and read the situations really well and created some big problems for them. And then, at half time I said to them [the players] this is a team in the Premier League that is never going to give up, it’s going to throw everything at you because of their character and belief. That’s what they’ve done. They’ve thrown everything at us. We’ve scored four as well, we could have scored more. But they make it hard.
On what he learned from previous games with Leeds…
For 45 minutes, every action has to be full gas and paying so much attention. Then it’s a 15-minute break and then another 45 minutes. If you don’t approach the game like that you’re in big trouble. Any situation they can take advantage of it.
On the game plan…
You cannot do that and sustain the ball, manipulate the ball and attack certain spaces against a team that is very man-orientated. It’s very difficult to create. You have to be very precise to find the next pass, the next movement and then you can find the openings. If you don’t do that it becomes really difficult.
On scoring four goals…
It was great. The amount of chances we created, the type of goals we scored, I’m really pleased with that. The attacking patterns we had today, the confidence the team played with against a team that are constantly pressing you, to be comfortable in those situations…overall, there are a lot of positives today.
On Aubameyang…
Yeah, he’s been training really good. He wants to get back, he wants to help the team. I could see that this week I had a feeling to put him as a number 9 today and he’s done the job.
On Odegaard…
Big credit to him. To play the first Premier League start against Leeds after not playing a lot of football in the last three months, run the way he did, be as comfortable and creative as he was on the ball and the personality he showed on the game was great.
Good signs, we have been good at tines this season. Just need to keep doing it game in game out. Especially the rest of this month, which is tough.
We just broke into the top 10 in February. We need to be ruthless, Arteta is a nice guy and all but he’s not up to the level required.
He is the toughest manager we had in 25 years
Listen to yourself. We’ve never been in this position in 25 years. We are in tenth place, maybe mediocrity is your thing.
But we are getting better and that’s all that matters. If we start getting worse again then we can explore your hypothesis. But until then, we have to stick with our man.
You might be right and Arteta may not have the magic wand to get this sputtering football club moving again.
But as long as we improve, steadily and slowly, then that’s enough for me.
Moving into the top 10 in February doesn’t count as an improvement. Not my opinion; it is a fact, we’re at the lowest point we’ve been for a very very long time. You can’t have improved if you are at a low.
Does it matter to you that only city have conceded fewer goals than us?
Or, have you not learned that a run of 3-5 victories is all it takes to go from looking behind you at 16th, to occupying a Europa spot. I would rather a CL spot obviously.
Or that what has let us down has, uncharacteristically, been our attack. When a serial golden boot winner doesn’t score, those goals need to be made up.
We are definitely on the right track.
I thought only a CL spot was a failure. Or was that just for Arsene Wenger? Even in his last season which was a nightmare we came 6th. If arteta came 6th some will be calling him a genius.
All very strange.
Our attack wasn’t to blame. You can only misfire if you’ve been given the rounds to load into the weapon first.
Up until ESR’s emergence against Chelsea at Christmas we hadn’t had a decent number 10 providing the chances. Well, we did – but he wasn’t allowed to play.
All roads lead back to Arteta.
We are where we are because of him.
Haven’t you moved to Turkey yet?
There’s a lot of things to be positive about though. Arteta has done well bringing through an exciting group of of young players. ESR especially has been a revelation. That’s on Arteta. We’ve also got rid of a hell of a lot of deadwood. No more Mustafi! No more Ozil. No more Papa. It’s hard to build a squad when so many of the old guard are clogging up the wage bill and the training sessions. We’ve undeniably clicked in the last two months. We could’ve beaten Villa and Wolves so easily. And we’ve beaten everyone else bar a good… Read more »
“No more Mustafi, no more Ozil, no more Papa, no more Willian…” wait.
You see 4th in February, I see 6 points behind 4th with 42 points to play for
We have had better expected goals and attack since Dec than any similar spell under Emery or the last two years of Wenger. Get out of here with this agenda.
You are right, of course, but I’ll just say this:
That old adage about things having to get worse before they get better.
Well, he’s certainly made sure the first part was adhered to….
I have a feeling that by the time Arteta is removed, he won’t have gotten us particularly close to where we should/want to be in terms of results But I also think in a couple years, when we look back at his time here, we’ll see him in quite a positive light. He’s already righted our long-standing blasé attitude to defending. He’s seen a significant number of comparative low-ability and unambitious players out of the club. He’s frozen out several others he believes to have a poor attitude (rightly or wrongly it’s hard for us to know as outsiders). And… Read more »
Interesting thoughts. I wonder if you’ll be proved right? I’m hoping he slowly grows us into title contenders after a stop start season or two, before we do the treble in 2024
🤣👍
There’s a difference between tough and stubbornly stupid.
George Graham knew exactly what he was doing. I don’t think Arteta does. Good or bad, he’s clearly winging it.
Unless things go dire, we will stick with him. I can see the problems as most of us can. But if he goes. – who comes ?
it would be someone like Eddie Howe. It would certainly not be Simone or Klopp.
We are where we are. I think Arteta has until the end of next season to prove himself. I can’t see any changes before then.
Tenth place at this stage of the season is worse than dire. Having said that I wouldn’t fire him until the summer regardless of what happens.
I am just baffled and exasperated by the positive feeling among fans despite being tenth. Everyone is too happy to blame it all on Willian.
Before Odegaard, ESR and Martinelli were available, this was probably the worst Arsenal squad in my lifetime. Now these players are available and our expected goals and results are better than any time in almost 4 years and trending upwards.
I admire your bravery to state all that the way you did. Some of us feel a bit like that but hold it.
Honestly, listen to yourself, and support your team. Had we beaten Wolves (we were incredibly unlucky) and got the draw we deserved against Villa, we would be in 7th place, 2 points behind the Champion’s League places.
The league is incredibly close at the moment, bar Man City and the relegation positions.
It better not be someone like Eddie Howe! There are a lot of good/great managers out there. And we are still a big club, or at least can pay like one. Ok maybe Klopp, Pepe, Simeone would be out of the question. But just about any other top quality manager who isn’t already tied down would be at least possible Not saying we should sack Arteta now though. But we do need to see more consistent form between now and season’s end, and the club hierarchy needs to be on his case to get Saliba’s and Martinelli’s situations back on… Read more »
Rafa?
Bielsa?
Alleghri?
Rafa is old hat and no way would he improve us. Bielsa in a long career has hardly won anything. Allegri has already turned us down. Arteta is improving the team and has already won a trophy so needs at least another season
It won’t be difficult to improve arsenal
Bielsa won something.
I guess you’ve never heard the word transition in football
I know this wasn’t a factor in tonight’s game, but as a reporter I really want to ask him why does he keep playing Willian. What does Martinelli, or even Reiss Nelson, have to prove to play over him?
Very true but tbh I was glad he used him today instead of the others with Benfica and City coming up
Pepe or Martinelli might have enjoyed a runout with some defense-first instruction, while offering threat on the counter, but I understand the instinct to preserve those guys for another day and try to kill the game with squad filler.
Really though, Willian is barely good enough for that. I kept thinking this would have been a game to have brought on AMN.
Nelson has some kind of aura of grand potential around him at this point that I don’t think is earned.
One downvote.
Arteta reads this page then.
Some really good attacking football today, that is the first time for so long our attacking play was so fluent. 1 st 45 minutes against Wolves we were good but didn’t put away our chances. Today we created and scored, I loved our character after the 1st penalty debacle, what a joke, watching in slow motion is such an untrue diagnosis, watching in real time a clear penalty. Odegaard-Smith Rowe- Saka, how exciting is this line up, looking forward to some sumptuous attacking displays.
I want us to buy Odegaard in the summer. He’s exactly what we need. I love the boy and if he manages to stay fit, we should try to get him.
Yes, first signs are very promising for how he could work in this system and with guys like Saka and Auba and others.
On a side note, Jim Proudfoot on the world feed broadcast said Real Madrid have offered Ceballos to us for 22 million pounds. I’d like to do better, bring in a stud to play alongside Partey, but I’m curious as to how much lower that number would need to get for it to be a useful purchase for us.
Interesting. I’ve been pondering ceballos myself as well. Think for £20m he wouldn’t be a bad signing, but I’d rather decline – starve Madrid of funds so they have to sell odegaard for £40m to fund mbappe. A man can dream…
I really Think that a good summer transfer window is what we need to elevate us into a contender four top 4. I know… famous last words. But a Partey like signing for a 8/10 position and a top quality defender and I would start believing.
So why do you keep on playing Willian?
(Answer in the replay)
*reply☺️
MA might say… “Because we / I accidentally did a deal that guarantees him a shed load of appearances. On the plus side, he’s going to fix my badly assembled IKEA shelving. So it’s not all bad news”
Love Martin Ødegård. Anyone who have distanse covered stats?!? Promising first start to say at least… 🙌
Kudos on that spelling
If everyone is so negative like you.we don’t come very far .stay posetive.best way to go.concentrate on europa footbal
Ceballos’ debut I recall was even more impressive. Motm
Saka was a monster again. Just indispensible. Such tight control and strong play first half. Won both claims for penalties. His drive in field for Bellerin’s goal created so much havoc. Great dynamic engagement for us. Also Auba drifting out left today but two false 9s in Odegaard and ESR in lieu providing confusion in the middle. Auba’s best strength coming in from the left channel fed by Xhaka (or Cedric) Xhaka’s positioning and recoveries today again good plus some very sharp first time releases forward. Ceballos was also in decent outing if both Odegaard and him were slightly dropped… Read more »
We’ve got a world class player in development here.
It’s only a matter of time before City, PSG and Real start poking their fucking oars in where they’re not required.
If these guys aren’t already on long term deals, then they need to be – ASAP.
The other player I meant was ESR.
Arteta fails to learn from his Mistakes; Willian KILLS Team’s Momentum, Energy and Intensity. Introduce Willian and Arsenal leak 2 goals !
Willian should NEVER play for Atsenal, period.
Amen.
Just watching the replay that first penalty overturn by VAR was total bullshit! The fact that they had to look at it for so long surely suggests that the decision wasn’t a clear and obvious error??? What the fuck is wrong with these refs?
Didn’t cost us this time, but….
David Luiz was so fragile at the back . bcoz he s not speedy defender..Saliba is better than him
He’ll be gone in the summer.
A shame the same can’t be said about his Chelsea mate.