Mikel Arteta spoke to Sky Sports after Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa this evening.
Here’s what he had to say.
On the performance overall being better …
I’m really satisfied. The way we started the game, our tempo, our urgency, how dominant we were with the ball. The aggression we showed without the ball. We were alive.
We really believed we could do it against a very good side, and we wanted to put aside the result on Monday which we were all disappointed with.
On the team taking on board messages from Monday …
They did. I think we started to win this game with the reaction they had in the dressing room on Monday. They knew that in some moments they were really good, and in some moments they were at a level that you cannot do in the Premier League because the game is exposed.
We are the youngest team in the league. That is something we cannot change, we have to find why those things happen, try to analyse them, try to convince them and put them right as quick as possible.
Lacazette’s first start …
He was terrific. From the start, the way we finished the last game I already made a decision. The way he transmitted the right energy, such a commitment, quality, threat, for the goal, communication, coaching to the team, he totally deserved to play tonight.
Coming off at 67 minutes, and if he was tired …
I think he was. He worked really hard, he hasn’t played many minutes, he’s not playing internationals and he’s lacking still that resilience to finish the games but it doesn’t matter. The time he was on the pitch he was terrific.
Partey getting on the scoresheet at last …
Yeah, finally! He’s been really trying, he really deserved it. It’s something that he really wanted to go through, to celebrate the goal in front of the fans, and he’s got it today. He could have scored another one too! He was a happy boy.
The penalty decision being right …
Looking back at it, I think it was but this is why we have the technology. The referee couldn’t see it in the moment, it was a quick action and VAR made the right decision. I think at that stage we deserved more than just one goal.
Four goals for Smith Rowe, how is he developing ..
In the right direction. This is what he’s capable of doing and this is what we have to demand.
Five goals, four points, assessing the week …
Scoring in the 94th is always positive, at least to get a point, but I wasn’t happy with some of the moments against Palace and how we played. But today, I’m really happy.
I didn’t realise how much I hated Villa till this game. What a bunch of cunts. The thing about our team now, is you can’t just kick us out of a game. Villa almost seemed to sulk that we were kicking them back.
I was happy for Martinez when he left for AV and was also a little disappointed. But no longer. He proved himself to be a cunt. All these constant chattering about Arsenal and no fucking respect about a club that supported you for 10 fucking
years. Fuck him. Some former players you always look back with a find memory but that’s no longer the case for him, at least for him. He just became a villain. Hopefully the only thing he will ever win at club level is the FA cup with us…and nothing else.
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted mate you’re spot on. He had a few good games, demanded the world, did get it then slagged us off in the press every chance he gor. Glad Ramsdale was there today to show him a proper keeper!
I don’t see it that way, I interpreted his behaviour (e.g. the big fuss over Auba getting in the way of his kick) as being more to do with coming back to the Emirates feeling the need to prove a point. Similar to the point he’s been trying to prove to the world for the last 10 or more years whilst he’s been number 2 or 3. He’s finally a number 1 somewhere else, we won the game, he was beaten 3 times by our players, I don’t feel the need to slag him. I found it a little sad… Read more »
They employed John Terry until recently, what did you expect?
It takes decades for that much cuntery to wear off.
Was also great to see how angry the team got in the first minute when Watkins went through Gabriel, and how quickly they came to confront him. Real team spirit there and you sense they were up for it
You need to be alive to achieve anything though.
This comment needs removing
I misunderstood
Yourself?
Am i the only one who found the pace of the game to be incredibly slow from both sides? Really happy with the win but I’m not sure if our dominance was due to them letting us play at our pace…
We’re you actually there because we commented about how that in some parts that was the quickest transitions under Arteta that we’d seen, it was electric in parts…
Yep.
Yep. Just you
Pace was frenetic at times.
We had 3 times the energy and drive from Monday night
Yes, you are the only one.
Perhaps we’ll have a half positive arsecast now? 😬
Goodly morning James!
I’m so glad I managed to watch the game! What a performance!
Had it on my phone in the kitchen, but the Friday night rush never came, so got to see most of it. Not sure my team were that impressed that I took over the speaker for the commentary, but fuck them. I’m in charge, I do what I want.
Let’s hope that we can keep finding that level of performance more consistently.
Enjoy your weekend everyone, GOONERS!!!
Ultra critical me.
1st half superb.
Goal against, and subsequently a bit of unnecessary stress, was soft as. Mr Partey needs to step in and put that out of the park. Couple of bottled tackles in that moment imo.
Most times players can’t hit it that well and that accurately. It was more of a case of “a fucking unknown players scoring a superb goal out of nowgere against the Arsenal” like cunt Rooney, Danny Fucking Rose and some other cunts that I already foegot the name of.
As soon as I read that bit in quotes, I immediately thought; “Nayim”.
No good alive one night and dead another. We will need to show a consistency of 5 games winning in the league before we can truly say this team is delivering anything. We’ve been here before. Win against Spurs, then undo everything following games. Laca the difference today with his hustle and protection of the ball. It also bought auba time as well. As I mentioned many times (last season), cannot understand why Laca and Auba are not played in tandem. Work rate just behind Auba meant back 3 in Villa had to squeeze tight to deal with them and… Read more »
This game once again showed that it’s not the players.
Let them play to their strengths Mikel, no more of that overcoached horseshoe horseshit.
Agreed. Keen to see the analysis of the game. It certainly felt like there was less horseshoe ball and a bit more support from Tomi on the right as well rather than tucking in as the 3rd CB constantly. A lot of the struggle is down to the imposed rigidity. I actually don’t think there’s a lot to change. The players we have are quality. Maybe not top 4 but we should be up there with best of the rest.
Control and Aggression.
At present in some games and the team want control of the game they are loosing their aggression and not managing their risk (playing a little too safe or playing a little too risky and loosing the ball).
They are slowly getting to that better place .
Experience and work will get them their
Patience
will get them THERE…jeez not enough control in that last post 🙂
More experience and work required on those posts for you!
Special mention to Ramsdale and his distribution, his charisma and his overall impact on the squad.
I think he’s being the real revelation of this season and to think I was a little sad for Leno. I only wish we won the game against Palace, we’d have been better positioned in the table by now.
Again, Ramsdale has my vote for player of the season already.
We were alive and we liked it