Arteta: I’ve never seen it like this

Mikel Arteta was quick to thank the Arsenal supporters for their role in roaring on his side to a huge 3-2 win against Liverpool.

The Emirates erupted at the final whistle with a mixture of relief and defiance as the Gunners returned to the top of the table after Bukayo Saka’s penalty sealed the points.

The stadium was a cauldron of noise before kick-off and went absolutely ballistic inside 60 seconds when Gabriel Martinelli finished off a slick move to break the deadlock.

The jubilant scenes continued at half time after Bukayo Saka restored the lead in stoppage time. Darwin Nunez had pegged us back on 34 minutes and substitute Roberto Firmino did the same eight minutes after the break but this time Arsenal would not be denied.

“Thank you so much to the boys and our supporters for experiencing an afternoon like this,” he said in his post-game press conference. “It’s what it’s about, our profession and why we are here. I really enjoyed it, especially the way we won.

“I’ve never seen it [the atmosphere] like this. You cannot imagine how much it helps the players, how much belief it gives, how much confidence and support.

“It’s one of the nicest things that we’ve done since we are together here; to unite everybody and feel like, you go here and have some experience. It’s great.”

The Gunners’ win makes it eight wins from nine and restores a one-point lead over Manchester City who remain the bookies’ favourites to finish top. Despite the fast start to the campaign, Arteta won’t get drawn into talk of a title race with his former club.

“At the moment, let’s enjoy where we are and have even more determination to believe that we can only play at that level when we play at that rhythm and with the courage like we did in the second half. And go step by step.”

What is clear is that Arteta likes what he’s seeing from his players on the pitch. Moreover, with each win, he knows that confidence and belief in the group will continue to grow.

“The feeling of winning is so powerful and so meaningful today for me because I saw a team that I really identify with, the personality they showed in difficult moments, they stick to what they have to do but at the same time they have the courage and free mind to just go for it and attack them and put them under pressure.”

He added: “We need to do what we do every single day, understanding that hopefully the players believe more and are more confident that we can play and compete at this level and then win which is the most important thing and stay humble and tomorrow be ready for the training session and a lot of things we need to get better but always with enthusiasm and empathy between them to be a better team.”