Mikel Arteta says Aaron Ramsdale’s decision to support Bernd Leno in person at Aston Villa underlines the type of character he is.
The Germany international was selected for his first Premier League start since August after Ramsdale picked up a muscle problem during Wednesday’s defeat to Liverpool and went on to keep a vital clean sheet as the Gunners won 1-0 at Villa Park.
At full time, just moments after he’d produced a stoppage-time save from John McGinn, the Arsenal squad mobbed Leno and Ramsdale soon joined the jubilant scenes.
In his post-game press conference, Arteta gave an update on the fitness of Ramsdale and why he made the trip down the M4.
“He wasn’t confident in the last 50 or 60 minutes against Liverpool,” said the boss.
“We scanned him and he had a proper injury and a sore muscle. He wanted to be here but as soon as he realised he couldn’t play he wanted to be here to support Bernd which shows you the kind of character he is.”
— brandon (@arsenalistrator) March 19, 2022
At full-time, the travelling Gooners serenaded Arteta with a new chant in his honour. It’s the clearest indication yet that after a fair bit of convincing, the majority of fans are now buying into his project.
On more people jumping on the bandwagon, he said: “They can jump! The more people we have on board the better.
“The history and tradition of this club is to win and the only thing that is acceptable is that. When you’re sitting here and not doing it you have to accept that.”
Since returning from January’s warm-weather training camp in Dubai, Arsenal have won six out of seven games and given themselves a serious chance of securing a top four finish. It’s been a great run but as always, the boss’ focus is on what comes next.
“We have 10 games [left] today and that what we did yesterday or today is not relevant, it’s what we’re going to do tomorrow.
“How we’re going to prepare, how we’re going to get the team to play better and win more games more comfortably because if we want to win more games that we dominate like today we have to score the second and third one. We’re not there yet.”
He seems to be really raising the bar now and starting to talk about the performances that are required to put in a sustained title challenge. Last year we would have just been delighted with an away win and a clean sheet. Shows where we are and where we are headed! Come on!
What’s Arteta’ chant?
“We’ve got super Mik Arteta… he knows exactly what we need; Kieran at the back, Gabi in attack, Arsenal on the way to Champions League.” Tune is similar to the Mesut Ozil chant.
Someone suggested this for Partey:
Ain’t nobody like Tom Partey
Makes me happy
Makes me feel this way…
His name is Tom Partey
And he’ll shoot if he wants to
Shoot if he wants
You’d shoot too if they shouted at you
+to
“It’s Tom Partey” scans better. Otherwise, let’s here it!
Also interested
Chant from fans this afternoon
🎶 We’ve got super Mik Arteta
He knows exactly what we need
Kieran at the back
Gabbi in attack
Arsenal on the way to Champions League 🎶
This is fantastic 💥
Great result from Arsenal and the perfect response to their disappointment on Wednesday night – though to be perfectly honest they played really well against probably the best team in Europe.
As soon as Mark Lawrenson predicted a Villa win I new Arsenal would win – his claim there was “nothing between them” was particular nonsense – 18 points behind with a game in hand is NOT “nothing between them” – idiot…
COYG
Lawrenson consistently under rates us, and it’s proven in his own prediction table. I feel sorry for how miserable he always seems.
Never forget meeting him at arsenal/Chelsea final in Wales and I asked him who would win obviously he said Chelsea 😂
He undermines us all the time. Always talking crap.
You wouldn’t want him backing us, it would probably be a jinx.
Haah nothing between them.
The “experts” on tv here in Norway were only talking about how solid Arsenal looks, and how awful Villa was today.
And one of them is former Spuds keeper, Thorstvedt.
👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
“They can jump” is a good quote. A knack for good quips will always remind me of Arsene.
True, but it would have been better had he said “might as well jump!” and then kicked his leg way up in the air David Lee Roth style.
Brilliant! This comment made my day 🙂 It needs more likes.
Smells like team spirit
By Artana
That song always brings back the memories, but my word, it takes the cake for the stupidest lyrics of all time. That and basically every lyric by Oasis.
Come As You Are(senal)
I was going to use Rape Me but he fucked off to Manchester.
😆
Here we are now, Arteta us
He wouldn’t have got anywhere near the game if he’s taken the M4
Actually, the most likely explanation for Ramsdale making the trip down the M4 is that he was bloody lost!
M40 or M1/M6 more likely.
Arteta chant: https://fb.watch/bRO4Yf_xWi/
I like Arteta. Always have but its turning to a man crush and eventually…..love.
Some dancing, a light supper. Who knows where it might lead?
Who remember how we all thought the Amazon documentary was a bad idea at the beginning of the season?
Now, we are all eager for it to come… eager to see some of the things going on behind the scene. That right there is a great indication of how much turnaround we have made this season.
No matter what happens going off the remainder of this season, I have seen enough to belief that we are moving forward as a club.
Amazon must be loving us for the narrative…propping up the table after three games, now fighting for top four.
On the other hand, they’re probably kicking themselves for not choosing Chelsea this year. Drama!
Could be the biggest series of All or Nothing to date.
I didnt even bother watching the Man City one. Might be good cinematogrophy but I have no interest in giving anything, including my time, to that plastic, soul-less, joke of a club.
If we can’t win the league, I don’t mind City winning because they literally don’t gave fans in my country so it’s like nothing happened.
The ramsdale injury was a first half injury….hmmm…maybe he didn’t get down as quickly as expected against pools first goal because of it?
This is the only valid explanation 👍
Winning is generating togetherness or the other way round?
Maybe one is fuelling back the other like pistons.
It looks amazing !
M40 😉
Ramsdale attended as he cares and its a team / squad game. Other players (I won’t name) would fly off to Dubai or Portugal or Istanbul or…It’s about having the right commitment and values
I’d almost forgot about Leno. He’s still a quality keeper and to pull out a big save like that when he had little else to do shows great concentration. Delighted for him. He deserved the plaudits.
What a man Leno was. He’s good but not as good as Ramsdale ( who is better than Ramsdale) so he lost his place
But he’s obviously not sulking .And he comes in does more than the job expected of him .The reaction of his teammates was golden. ” Remember the little things as they are the big things eventually.” Leno’s contribution may be this one game but he’s made a massive contribution. Ps the early defeats were not his fault ,it was a strange time.