Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice helped us claim all three points against Burnley at Turf Moor and after the victory, Mikel Arteta spoke to the press.
Our manager delivered an update on Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, as well as praising our performance to get a ninth straight win in all competitions.
Read every word from Mikel’s post-match press conference below:
on his thoughts on the performance and result:
Very happy. It’s a really tough place to come. They’ve lost once [here] in 18 months, against Liverpool, with the last kick of the game from a penalty. I think we started the game exceptionally well. I think the first half was one of the best that we’ve played. Scored two goals, generated another two or three big chances and conceded nothing. That was a platform because in the second half, we dropped the standards, especially with the ball and with our intentions to take more risks and play forwards. But again, defensively, we were exceptional until the point of the free-kick. We were a bit lucky that it hit the post and we kept the clean sheet.
on the reason for Viktor going off at half-time:
I think it was one of the best games that he’s played. I think overall his performance was exceptional; he was part of the first goal. We had to take him off because he was feeling a little niggle, muscular, so we’ll have to wait and see.
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on the reason for Zubimendi being substituted off:
Zubi as well, he asked to be subbed, so we’ll have to wait and see.
on creating a good amount of chances from open play:
In midweek, we did exactly the same. At the end, against teams that want to defend in that low block, it is more difficult and Burnley, credit to them, because they are very, very well organised and the big teams have struggled big time to generate chances and opportunities against them. We certainly did that, especially in the first half. I’m happy with that, but there’s still a lot of things to improve.
on the challenge of playing at Turf Moor:
We have been discussing this season, the games that we have struggled or dropped points in, especially last season. We knew the challenge today and the level that we’re going to have to show to beat them because they have this spirit and this belief to get results here at home and you could feel that. So what we’ve done, big credit to the boys.
on Gyokeres’ play:
Everything. His high press, his position and his touches, his threading behind, the way he linked play, the way he got us from this situation to transition moments. I think he was in a really good moment. It’s a shame that he felt something.
on conceding just one shot on target in four games:
I think, again, the spirit is an action at the end, after a corner from Declan that Ethan doesn’t win the duel there and you see 10 players sprinting 80 metres. I mean, we play with that desire, with that focus, with that discipline. We’ll win a lot of games.
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