We booked our place in the last eight of the Champions League for the third season in a row with a dominant 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night.
Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice scored cracking goals either side of half-time to give us a 3-1 aggregate win, and set up a quarter-final tie with Sporting.
After the game Mikel Arteta met the media and was asked about the game, the goals and more. Here’s a full transcript from his press conference…
on Ebere Eze’s goal opening up the tie:
Yes, I think it’s true, I think we started the game so well. We were a threat from every angle, their ‘keeper maintained them in the game I think, and we needed a magical moment from Ebs to score a wonderful goal, a wonderful strike, to give us the lead. In the second half we had periods of domination, periods where they dominated as well because they are a really good side, and they are really good in what they do. And again, Declan’s actions opened the opportunity to go on and win the game and the tie, and unfortunately as well we had four or five situations where we should have probably scored the third one and put the game to bed. But overall, I think we fully deserve to be in the quarter-finals.
on if Eze has found his rhythm:
Yes, he is playing I think every three days now, he has a rhythm, an understanding with his teammates as well, what we want, and especially his level of activity, with and without the ball – in the spaces that he moves and the purpose that he’s showing every time he’s in and around the box as well. It’s a reason why he’s here – to create those kind of moments.
on Declan Rice’s performance:
He was immense. Him and the whole team – I just mentioned the soul of the team, I think the manner that they go for every ball, the passion that they show and the reaction is remarkable. Doing it every three days at that level is so difficult.
on If Saturday’s result helped the atmosphere tonight:
I thought the atmosphere was really good from the beginning. I thought when they went out that they could sense it. It was one of those nights where they were really, really positive with the team and the reaction of the team obviously gave them more reasons to behave like this. So, yes, that’s exactly what we need, the last two games are the standards that we need to help us achieve what we want.
on if he was aware of Eze’s form in spring:
Yes. Do you know why I know? Because you guys told me! I didn’t know that, to be fair!
on if Eze has settled in:
I think he’s building a better chemistry, a better understanding with all of them, and we start to understand him much better and then, yes. When you start to make a good game, a good action – an action that can win you the game – that lifts your confidence as well, and that’s what every player needs.
on David Raya’s saves:
I don’t know what they generated, again in two games it was a set-piece last time and then a header before that, and today an action. He makes an incredible save, that’s why he’s here, he’s absolutely amazing.
on Eze’s first season in the Champions League:
Comparing the minutes he’s playing now with his career, he’s playing much more now than in any other season, so that tells you as well the consistency he’s showing, he’s always fit. Today he had to come off – he has a lot of minutes in him, but he’s handling the pressure of the situation and the expectation very well.
on if the team selection had the Carabao Cup final in mind:
Every decision to be honest was focused on today’s game. What was at stake was huge, we’ve been three times in the quarter-finals but I don’t know how many (in total). Not that many, I don’t think, and that tells you how difficult it is to achieve it, and now we can start to think about Sunday.
on Eze’s pressing game improving:
Without that, you don’t have any chance to play in this team. Because everybody does it, and that’s the magic of it and the reason why we are so consistent in winning matches and preventing the opponent to score. He can do it – if he couldn’t do it, I would never demand it – he can do it, he’s willing to do it, and he’s doing it better and better every day.
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