It's unbelievable — Ecstatic Arteta praises Arsenal players for historic derby win

Mikel Arteta || Imago

It's unbelievable — Ecstatic Arteta praises Arsenal players for historic derby win

Faruq Ibrahim 22:17 - 15.09.2024

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta heaped praise on his players after they overcame adversity to beat Tottenham.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has praised his squad for their performance in the North London Derby, snatching victory amid adversity. 

The Gunners received significant blows in the international break, with captain Martin Odegaard and new signing Riccardo Calafiori both subjected to enforced timeouts due to injuries. 

Coupled with their injury situation, they also missed Declan Rice for the match, who saw red in Arsenal's last game, the draw against Brighton. 

Missing these key players and travelling away from home, the Gunners faced an uphill battle, but they navigated it expertly, and thanks to a Gabriel Maghalaes header in the second half, they beat Tottenham 1-0. 

What Arteta said 

With the win, Arsenal won three consecutive away matches against Tottenham for the first time since the 80s, and an ecstatic Arteta could not praise his team enough. 

“It's unbelievable; I don't know when it happened in our history,” he said, per the BBC. “After the international break, we had a few blows. How the team reacted was magnificent. It showed a lot of maturity from the team.

Mikel Arteta and Jorginho celebrate Arsenal's win at Tottenham Hotspur on September 15, 2024 (Credit: Imago)
Mikel Arteta and Jorginho celebrate Arsenal's win at Tottenham Hotspur on September 15, 2024 (Credit: Imago)

"When they get into the final third, it's very difficult because they have a structure. We were missing vital players and we had to react to that. I'm very pleased.

"We had to adjust and use different players and qualities. I was hoping they would do something with the ball and we did it. Sometimes better than others. They are a really good side.

"When we have to defend in deeper areas, we did it really well. There are things to improve but we have another victory here and it's huge. I know how our supporters will feel about this so enjoy it."

Meanwhile, Arsenal have been the most lethal team in the Premier League on set pieces since the hiring of specialist coach Nicolas Jover. His expertise bore fruit today as Arsenal scored from one of their routines to best Spurs, and Gunners’ boss Mikel Arteta gave the Frenchman due credit.

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