Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reflected on Arsenal’s hard-fought win against Crystal Palace on Monday night and applauded his players for the fight they put up, even after going down to 10 men.
While speaking to Sky Sport in a post-match interview, Arteta was asked about Arsenal’s nervy ending at Selhurst Park. Arteta insisted he loves winning like they did, and that they dominated the game and conceded nothing.
“I love to win like this and first of all, the way we played the first half and the situations we created against a team that is so difficult, I think they were ranked first in terms of what they concede in open play. Arteta said.
“We dominated the game, we conceded nothing. Even at 10 men, we didn’t concede & we read the game really well, competed extremely well & I’m so happy for the team.”
When asked what it means to win against the odds, the Spaniard said it shows how much every player wants to win, including those on the bench.
“It shows how much we want it. When you see the players on the bench, the way they come when you’re talking to them, the fact that they have to come here and help the team. They were magnificent, they changed the dynamic of the game and thanks so much to them, they really contributed to winning the game.”
After going a man down, Arteta introduced defensive players Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jorginho, and Jakub Kiwior to try and diffuse Crystal Palace pressure. They did as instructed and Arsenal saw out the match.
