After Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace, secured thanks to Bukayo Saka’s brace and strikes by Gabriel Martinelli and Granit Xhaka, manager Mikel Arteta was full of praise for his players.
Here’s what he had to say when he faced the BBC cameras…
On what impressed him the most…
The desire, the energy we put in right from the beginning of the game. We were really determined and focused, left Thursday in the past, and were determined to come and play well and win the game.
On that not being easy…
Absolutely. And after playing 120 minutes you have to come back here and do it again against a team with a lot of needs [for points] who’ve not got the results but have been tough to beat the last two games. We were really dominant and deserved to win the game.
On being clinical in front of goal…
We had a few moments before that [Martinelli’s opener] and were unlucky with the final pass but today, especially in the box when we had those openings, we defined the game in the right way.
On Martinelli’s quality…
That’s right and the reaction to missing a penalty [on Thursday]. There’s always a question mark there but I asked him yesterday how he was and he said he wanted to be in the team and to do it again. That’s what we want.
On Saka’s brace…
Great. And he was disappointed not to be with a hat-trick. That’s what we need, we need our front players firing and making the difference and he did it again.
On having control of the game…
Yes, they are tricky opponents. They are really well-organised, they don’t concede much, the games they’ve lost are by the margin of a goal and then they have a threat up front, individual quality in the first action; Zaha puts the ball against the post and the game can change, that’s the reality. We had to control that well and we did it.
On conceding…
Yeah, I’m not happy about that. We conceded from a set play and we need to improve there.
On an eight-point gap heading into the Interlull…
Yeah, very good. Especially the way we’ve played in the last few weeks and the results we’ve picked up. Unfortunately, we have to stop, get the players into international duty and wish that everybody comes back with the same mindset and ready to go.
On having six wins in a row…
Yeah, it’s really difficult to do in this league and I think we deserve them. We need to continue, it’s going to be a really long ride.
On today’s result inflicting a psychological blow on rivals City…
We’ve got the next one. We’ve got Leeds next and we put all the focus there.
Massive win and great response from Ramsdale and Martinelli after Thursdays result. If we are serious about winning the league this season we have to defend better. I think on another day Crystal palace would have easily scored 3. The saves from Ramsdale were amazing but we have to do better in defense. Hopefully Liverpool will do us a favor and we can extend our gap with City.
It’s easy to forget the context of this coming basically 2.5 days after playing 120 minutes and getting knocked out of Europe in really disappointing fashion. To then go and win 4-1 is pretty impressive… hopefully the defensive lapses can be attributed to the mental and physical fatigue from that and missing possibly our best defender, and fingers crossed this will be the last goal we concede from a set piece this year.
City have potentially 18 matches after the international break, we have 10. That should be an advantage for us.
Saliba’s absence changed the defensive dynamic. Holding just can’t recover as quickly.
Well that’s true but that didn’t stop him from having an immense game. Thought the back four had an outstanding game as a unit and Holding was solid.
Anyone know what the status of Saka’s contract is? A month ago they said it was agreed, but unless I missed it it still hasn’t been announced?
We’re are concentrating on winning the league for now. Saka will sign.
Focus on the task at hand, that’s what Saka is doing.
Holding played very well for our 4th or 5th choice CB!
He’s got no hair but we don’t care..
Yes, he has experienced a follicle renaissance. And here I thought and hoped he would except his inner Bould-ness!
One game at a time mantra as we get over the line as EPL champions – it’s possible.
For that first goal, Saka fires to Martinelli with his right foot, and Martinelli blasts it past the keeper and into the net with his left. That’s the result of nonstop work on the training ground born of a desire to get ever better. Top players with a brilliant future.
We got our arsenal back !