Mikel Arteta praised the team’s character after we sealed a crucial 1-0 win away to Brighton, and extended our lead at the top of the table.
Bukayo Saka gave us an early lead, but from then on the game was all about desire and commitment, as we saw out what could be a significant victory in the season run in.
After the match, the manager said he was delighted with what he saw from the players.
“I loved it,” he said. “It was a really tough one, we knew that. We played so many games with very, very high intensity and demands, and you could see in certain moments that we lacked freshness, especially with the ball, to have more composure, for the heart rate to be a little bit lower to make better decisions and be a bit more precise.
“So when you don’t do that, you have to do a lot of very good things. You want to win in this league, especially here at Brighton, and the team showed an incredible desire, determination and attitude to win the game.”
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Saka: “It’s a beautiful day!”
Mikel said the performance was all the more impressive, coming off the back of two intense London derby wins over Tottenham and Chelsea.
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. And emotionally to handle the things that we are handling. A lot of players are with a lot of issues, not really training and going through that. So I really value what they do.”
The boss reserved special praise too, for the match-winner, after Saka became the 52nd player in our history to rack up 300 appearances.
“It’s a huge number for him, a huge number at his age, with the numbers that he has produced as well in those 300 games. So congratulations to him. It’s a pleasure to have him.”
But the last word was for the magnificent travelling supporters, who he said more than played their part in the win. “I loved the connection with our people. I mean, our supporters were phenomenal throughout the night. How loud they were, how passionate they are. The way they are living the moment with us. It’s remarkable. They brought a lot of energy to the team today.”
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Highlights: Brighton 0-1 Arsenal
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