Mikel Arteta was pleased with the way 10-man Arsenal ground out a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace and says his team “are growing and getting better”.
The Gunners wrestled control of a tight game eight minutes after the break when Martin Odegaard converted from the penalty spot after Eddie Nketiah was fouled by Palace keeper Sam Johnstone.
However, despite controlling large swathes of possession, the visitors had to produce a backs-to-the-wall performance for over half an hour after left-back Takehiro Tomiyasu received two harsh yellow cards in the space of seven minutes.
Here’s what the manager had to say when he was interviewed by Sky Sports…
On his team taking all three points…
I love to win like this. I love, first of all, the way we played the first half and the situations that we created against a team that is so difficult. I think they were ranked first in terms of what they conceded in open play. And we dominated the game. We conceded nothing. And in the second half, we have to play the game after they score the goal. Obviously, they’re going to come out and we’re going to have more spaces. That game we didn’t play because we have to play with 10 men but even at 10 men again we didn’t concede and we read the game really well, competed extraordinarily well and I’m so happy for the team to be able to respond to different contexts in a positive way and win the game.
On the celebrations reflecting the efforts in the last 30 minutes…
Absolutely, and it shows how much we wanted. And when you see the players on the bench, the way they come on, when you talk to them, the face that they have to come here and help the team, they were magnificent, they changed the dynamic of the game. And I thank you so much to them because they really contributed to winning the game.
On whether he understands why Tomiyasu was sent off…
I’m a really open person, I understand everything.
On what it’s going to take for the players to take on board the new rules…
The new rules are one thing. The new rules that I don’t know where they are, they haven’t communicated, that’s something very different. But we will adapt. Today we had to win it in this context and we’ve done it.
On whether referees will find it difficult marshalling timewasting…
I don’t know. That’s something that they have to do. It’s going to be very difficult for us. I guarantee you we have to play with 10 or maybe with 9 or with 8 because, depending where we put the standards and the level, we can maybe play eight against eight. It can be very entertaining.
On how impressed he was with the performance when Arsenal had 11 men…
Very impressed. This is what we want. Keep developing and earning the right to win the games the way we played. It’s really difficult. They are really good at frustrating you, at shifting across and forcing you to make mistakes and then they are really good in transition. We didn’t allow much of that. We are growing, we are better.
On Declan Rice showing his flexibility today with a slight change of position…
Absolutely, I thought he was fantastic today. He really dominated the game. We asked him to do something new, he’s done it in a different club, but we asked him to do it in a different way. I think he was fantastic today.
these refs, my god.
Thoroughly deserved three points regardless. Also loved seeing Gabi back in the team.
They will rescind the second yellow card easily. Tomiyasu will play next game.
Can second yellows be appealed? I didn’t think so. We’re stuck with this farce of decision, unfortunately. Coote is crap.
Coote is dishonest to his federation
No, he’s honest to his federation – PGMOL.
He was clearly under instruction to give a soft yellow card following on from a time wasting yellow card – just to make a statement.
10/10 for Arteta’s sarcasm. Thanks for the lolz. F*ck PGMOL and made up rules
Sending off was a joke, I’m sick of the ‘buying’ fouls by falling over or dragging a leg. It’s infuriating, the problem is everyone is doing it because it works!
“I’m a really open person, I understand everything”
“The new rules that I don’t know where they are, they haven’t communicated, that’s something very different.”
“depending where we put the standards and the level, we can maybe play eight against eight. It can be very entertaining.”
Some top notch almost Wenger-ish sarcasm from Mikel there, he’s getting really skillful at cheekily bashing the refs without overtly bashing them and risking a fine. Chapeau 👏
I’m a really open person, I understand everything.
Now, that’s a great t-shirt
The referee was dishonest to his federation…which is also dishonest…so maybe he was honest? Either way…they are bent
For that sort of thing, a simple addition of two negatives works nicely. No need to multiply.
There should be a simple and fast system for yellow card veto by Var.
Var: What’s the card for?
Ref: Shirt pull stopping counter.
Var: No pull off the shirt. No yellow.
Then the ref has no say.
Easier said than done, of course, and you’d want to avoid slippery slopes (e.g. what if there was no foul at all). But what’s the point of var just being omissive?
Stupid as hell. A yellow card not being reviewable means you trust these refs that they wouldn’t be bad enough to give someone two erroneous yellow cards. But they’ve done nothing to deserve that sort of trust.
You are assuming VAR is any more capable… until you realise it is the same bloke from the last weekend.
Forget about refereeing and VAR.
Maybe the rule should be amended so that a second yellow can be reviewed, so it’s “certain” whether a player should be sent off or not.
Wouldn’t really work. Who’s to say the second wasn’t nailed on, but the first was erroneous.
Worse than Tommy getting sent off for me was Ayew still being on before Tommy had even been booked.
Review of the 2nd yellow still 50% better than no yellow card review.
PiGMOL can enforce all the rules they have in their littlle book no problem, but enforce them uniformly. How a player on a valid yellow commits a blatant yellow card offence against Saka and gets a smile while an opposing one on a soft yellow gets a red for touching the same smiled-upon player beats every logic.
Wonder what it takes for deliberate ‘incompetency’ to get groaduated to match-fixing.
Can we appeal the red card???? Obviously if VAR was allowed it would have been turned.
No. You can’t appeal a yellow or in this case a second yellow A straight red yes.
Three points, that’s all that matters. However, parking the bus because of a red card is as risky as attacking play with 9 outfield players.
Three points, that’s all that matters. Full stop.
Pgmol are so up themselves. The next thing we will see is the burning of offside flags during a mass walkout ahead of a Boxing Day fixture.
New Rules. Rule 121b. A referee may send off any player at any time for any (or no) reason. Rule 1433c. If Manchester United are playing at home their goalkeeper is allowed to punch opposition strikers in the penalty box without it being deemed foul play. Rule 566. The referee is the sole arbiter of which side shall win the match. Players should not attempt to influence the result by scoring ‘goals’ in the wrong net. These will be disallowed and the relevant player booked or sent off. Rule 1. The referee must remain the centre of attention at all… Read more »
Someone should please tell Arteta to bring back Gabriel and Stop playing Partey as RB
Why?
Absolutely daft – not only should the second yellow decision be overturned, the Palace cheat should receive a retrospective yellow for diving. As long as cheats prosper they will continue to do it.