In his post-match press conference, Mikel Arteta discussed Arsenal’s comprehensive 2-0 victory over Brighton, highlighting key performances and tactical decisions that led to the win.
During Mikel Arteta‘s post-match press conference following Arsenal‘s 2-0 victory over Brighton, the manager discussed various aspects of the team’s performance and individual displays.
Arteta described the win as “outstanding” and “incredible,” praising the team for their dominant performance against a top team like Brighton & Hove Albion. He was pleased with how Arsenal controlled the game and prevented Brighton from executing their usual game plan.
“Outstanding, incredible,” the boss said. “Big compliment to the team and to the players. I think we had an incredible performance against a top team. I think we fully deserved to win the game. I have to praise them because I know how difficult it is and what Brighton do to teams. We didn’t allow that to happen, so I’m super happy.”
Speaking about Martin Odegaard, Arteta highlighted his exceptional performance on his birthday, praising his intelligence and precision against Brighton’s man-to-man pressing style. “He wanted to celebrate his beautiful birthday today in a great way – and he’s done it, with a win, with a huge performance,” Arteta explained.
“The way they play, the way they press you, they go man-to-man and you have to be so good, so accurate, so precise, so intelligent to do what we have done today. We’ve done it.”
Arteta acknowledged the patience the team showed, especially given some illness issues within the squad, including Jorginho. He emphasised the need for players to step up due to these health concerns.
“We had to be patient but at the same time, we had to be really determined against this team,” Arteta said. “Maybe [you can] have certain doubts – they start to open you up, they start to frustrate you and dominate with the ball.
“We didn’t allow that to happen today.
“We showed a lot of maturity and a lot of intelligence. This game against them required [us] to be really intelligent in certain areas. We’ve done that in a really good way. Regarding [illness] we have some issues in the camp.
“With Jorginho as well, we have another issue, so we have five or six now. We need players.”
On not converting first-half chances, Arteta pointed out that creating more opportunities increases the likelihood of scoring. He expressed confidence in his players’ ability to finish actions but noted the need for fewer situations to secure games.
“Yes, but if we generate more, the probability of us scoring is higher,” Arteta said. “That’s the only thing we can focus on. We have great players who can define games and who can finish actions. Today we needed too many, especially in big spaces.
“We needed too many situations to kill the game – and that was the fear, especially after half-time, that it would be one of those days. The moment you give something to this team, they’re going to take it.”
Regarding Kai Havertz‘s improved goalscoring form, Arteta noted his growing confidence and security on the field. He praised Havertz’s intelligence, aggression, defensive work, and overall performances.
“His confidence is growing and he feels more secure on the field,” Arteta said. “The fact he’s scored one helped to score the second one. It’s four in seven games now and he should have scored a header today as well in a really good position.
“But overall, his performances, the intelligence he shows on the pitch, the aggression, how he works defensively, it’s top. Really good.”
Answering a question about whether the team is playing more freely, Arteta discussed the challenge of playing against teams that defend deep and compress space. He mentioned the team’s evolution, citing better adaptation in games and quicker understanding of tactical aspects by players like Kai and Declan Rice.
“I don’t know about the handbrake,” Arteta replied. “Hopefully I don’t transmit them to play with the handbrake but when you have 10 players defending in [a space of] 22 metres, you cannot run.
“If you run, you run off the pitch. When [you play] a team that allows you space, that wants to go man-to-man, there are huge spaces opening if you do the right things. Then we can run – and we’re a really dangerous team then as well.
“I think the team is clicking because they’re experiencing more and more time together. When you talk about Kai or Declan, they have played more games with us now. They understand certain things much quicker. It’s easy to adapt in games because they get it.”
Reflecting on the development since last season’s loss to Brighton, Arteta noted a stronger belief and determination in the team, leading to a more convincing performance.
“I think we had a really good first half last season as well,” he said. “We should have scored one or two goals but we didn’t. That was my concern today at half-time as well. But [last season] when we conceded the first goal, the team went down because we didn’t have that belief. Today we showed a real determination to beat them from the beginning until the end – and we have managed to do it.”
He credited the team’s proficiency in set-pieces to the players’ height, the improvement of takers, and the coaching staff’s work. Arteta emphasized the importance of set-plays in the game.
“[Having tall players] is a factor – the height is really important on set-plays,” Arteta explained. “The takers are getting better and better. They’re understanding where to attack in relation to what the opponent does well. Big credit to the coaches for the work they’ve done – and big credit to the players as well for buying into that and understanding how crucial this is in the game.”
Lastly, Arteta praised Gabriel’s consistency, valuing his love for defending and his impact on the backline. He dismissed any uncertainty about Gabriel’s future at Arsenal, affirming his desire to keep him at the club.
“Hopefully [he’s] not [underrated] – certainly not in this team or from me,” Arteta said. “I know his value, what he brings to the team and the love he has for defending, keeping clean sheets and being on it in every single action.
“What he transmits to the backline is absolutely incredible and today we did it against a team that had scored in 32 consecutive Premier League matches. Big compliment to the boys.
“From my side there was zero uncertainty because I want him here.”