After watching his side return to the top of the Premier League table with a 3-0 win over Brentford, Mikel Arteta faced the beIN Sports cameras.
Here’s what he had to say…
On inflicting pain on Brentford after they did the same to Arsenal last season…
This is the way you see it, a bad day or a painful day, in my view it as a building character day. It was a day that you go through as a team in your career individually and we learned a lot from it. And probably the way we played today and the way we won today was because of what happened before.
On how Arsenal reduced Brentford to two shots on target…
It’s very difficult to do so credit to the boys. Obviously, we planned certain things to take the game where we wanted and to nullify all the strengths that they have. But then, to put it in practice, at that pace against this crowd is a completely different thing. But we deserved to win.
On his centre-halves competing so well with Brentford’s strikers…
They really competed in a really clever way. When they had to jump into those duels they did, when they didn’t have to jump, they didn’t do it. Those two [Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes] have been superb since the start of the season and they really helped us.
On putting the United defeat to bed…
Again, against United we had some lessons, we played some great football, we controlled the game but we gave away, in two moments, situations against them and they killed you. That’s a learning process as well. We’re really happy to get back to the top and we’re top into the break.
On what led him to include 15-year-old Ethan Nwaneri in the squad…
I had a feeling that I had. I don’t know why. We had other options but I decided to bring him yesterday, we were really short [of players] and again yesterday, I had a feeling, I don’t know why, that this kid is going to debut tomorrow. Sometimes I have to feel my gut.
A gentle reminder that we are still top of the league 🔙🔛🔝
Title contenders according tot he Brentford manager. Let’s see after the enxt two matches, Sp*rs and Liverpool and see where we are. If we can maintain the form of today then we have a decent chance against them two.
The key will be to either have Zinchenko or Tierney fully fit for those games. I am glad Zinchenko gets a break to recover but I am always worried for Tierney when he goes on international games.i think Scotland have 3 games. Ffs I hope he will be OK.
I think if we have Partey fit we’ll demolish Spurs. They’ve been incredibly lucky this season- soon they’re going to get exposed by someone and I really hope it’s us.
After the release of Amazon documentary, i thinj most of the opposition coaches/players will be wary of talking trash against us. Cause they know Mikel will remember and use those comments in a very creative way in his team talks.
I suspect we will get a lot of compliments this season from opposition managers and coaches!
It’s great, isn’t it. There should perhaps be a slight note of caution. Let’s celebrate the progress made, overall and specifically against Brentford today, but we’re still not that far from the start of the PL marathon, not anywhere close to the end of it yet.
We’ve got Super Mik Arteta!
he knows exactly what we need
We were killers today.
Praise Jesus!
That’s two really difficult places to go and to try and play your game and to get results at both Palace and Brentford and we’ve done it, kept two clean sheets and scored 5 goals. We was stitched up at Old Toilet but the PGMOL can’t do it to us every time even if they’d like to because we’re just too good….
The third place I am looking forward to is Newcastle’s ground, and I hope we do them what we did to Brentford!
Common guys!
… just too good.
Pretty amazing stuff.
Your gut is never wrong Mikel. Up the Arsenal.
This guy speaks like a certain professor we know 😎
Very well articulated, no animosity in defeat, just take the lessons, learn them and do not repeat those errors and God willing we be there or abouts
Extremely classy of Mikel to do that, it will mean so much to Ethan and his family.
The Arsenal Way.
This is the way you see it, a bad day or a painful day, in my view it as a building character day. It was a day that you go through as a team in your career individually and we learned a lot from it. And probably the way we played today and the way we won today was because of what happened before.
really like the way he answers question like this..always looking at the positive side of things..respect!
Sign of a great personality and character who is capable to lead this club.
Meanwhile Garry Neville is showcasing his managerial competence in front of Sky cameras.
After lasting a week as manager for Valencia he’s been lucky to be hired as a go-go dancer for Brentford.
Next time I have a bad day at work and my manager asks me what’s going on, I’m gonna say I’m having a character building day.
I really want to upvote ur comment twice. Make my day. Cheers
You always learn more from adverse moments than successful ones
I’m not gonna lie i thought the screen prompters had made an error when I saw they put Ethan Nwaneri on as a sub. Never heard of him and I actually take note of the academy up and comers. He must be a bit of a gem!
Is he maybe the reason they let a few academy midfielder’s that seemed to have such potential go, he seems to have breezed through the gaps left
TOZL
What was the Ivan Toney song that’s the gooners were singing
I couldn’t catch the words