“We’re going to enjoy tonight, have a lovely dinner right now. Rest a little bit and tomorrow we start with Spurs.”
Mikel Arteta was beaming after Arsenal’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Chelsea, describing the night as “magical.”
His comments highlight the team’s impressive performance, the electric Emirates atmosphere, and set the stage for an exciting upcoming North London Derby.
Mikel Arteta couldn’t hide his joy after Arsenal‘s exhilarating 5-0 victory over Chelsea. The dominant performance, punctuated by countless moments of individual brilliance, left a lasting impression on the Emirates crowd – and their manager.
“With the result, the goals, the clean sheet, and the night we lived with our supporters, it was magical from the beginning,” Arteta reflected. His enthusiasm highlights the growing belief within the Arsenal camp as we enter the final stretch of the Premier League.
A tale of two halves
Though Arsenal controlled the early stages, some sloppiness crept in during the first half. However, Arteta’s halftime adjustments sparked a second-half transformation marked by “discipline” and “aggression,” as he noted.
“We started really good, very determined and created many, many chances,” he said. “Then we became a bit sloppy and we lost one or two balls in dangerous areas and they can punish you and we should have got punished and in the second half we reacted.
“We were much more disciplined, the same threat going forward, same aggression without the ball and to score five goals and keep a clean sheet against this team, credit to the boys.”
White’s wonder goal
Ben White’s sublime second goal, a curling effort he later admitted was unintentional, left even Arteta stunned. “It was a joy to watch,” the manager chuckled. “I wasn’t clear on what he wanted to do, but another great game [from him].”
Key returns and derby buzz
Arteta was pleased with the impact of returning starters Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu, both instrumental in securing the clean sheet and providing attacking impetus. With a crucial North London Derby looming, their form is a welcome boost.
“Yeah, it’s really good,” he said. “I think Thomas has been gaining some rhythm, he has missed so much football in the last few months and we believe that it was a game for him and he could impact the team in the right way and he certainly has done that.”
The Emirates atmosphere also earned special praise from Arteta: “It was unbelievable,” he said. “They were bouncing, they were singing, they were supporting, they were thriving with the team. Thank you so much because with that atmosphere here it’s really, really difficult for the opponent.