Soccer Soccer – Premier League – Arsenal v Manchester Metropolis – Emirates Stadium, London, Britain – October 8, 2023 Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta celebrates after the match REUTERS/David Klein Acquire Licensing Rights
LONDON, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta mentioned their first victory over champions Manchester Metropolis in eight years on Sunday sends a message to his workforce that they have to maintain believing.
The Gunners had not loved a league victory over Metropolis in 15 matches, having misplaced the earlier 12 in a row earlier than Sunday’s conflict on the Emirates between final season’s title rivals.
After a intently fought match, substitute Gabriel Martinelli struck late on to safe a 1-0 win and ship the Emirates into delirium because the Gunners moved stage on 20 factors with league leaders and fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
“It definitely sends a message to the workforce, that they maintain believing in what they’re doing,” Arteta mentioned. “They’re a unbelievable group of gamers. Immediately I’m proud.
“The gamers are all dancing and tremendous completely happy. The temper is so completely happy. I simply sense all people will take the subsequent sport towards Chelsea away (on Oct. 21) with the precise emotion.
“A fantastic feeling, you possibly can sense, it has been so a few years with out beating them. We beat the most effective workforce on the earth and in a good way. There have been some moments we needed to undergo.”
Arteta reserved particular reward for Brazilian match-winner Martinelli, who has returned from damage, within the absence of England ahead of Bukayo Saka, to make the distinction.
“He (Martinelli) has been saying for just a few weeks I’ll be there towards Metropolis although everybody mentioned it might be too quickly,” Arteta mentioned.
“Leo (Trossard) mentioned after half-hour that he felt one thing in his hamstring and he (Martinelli) was prepared together with his package straight on, immediately saying ‘boss, I’m prepared’.
“He is a pleasure to have round as a result of he can change a sport with that mentality that he has.”
Metropolis slipped to their second successive league defeat for the primary time since December 2018, however supervisor Pep Guardiola insisted the champions in 5 of the final six seasons may benefit from wanting up on the competitors for a change.
“Perhaps it’s a little bit higher to be there (in third) and see what we’ve got to do to catch them (league leaders) after which we’ll after we come again,” he informed Sky Sports activities.
“It has occurred. In Wolves it was a troublesome sport,” he added referring to Metropolis’s 2-1 defeat of their earlier Premier League sport on the finish of September. “Congratulations to Arsenal. We all know precisely what we’ve got to do and we do it.”
Reporting by Peter Corridor; Enhancing by Ken Ferris
Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
