Mikel Arteta has hailed Arsenal as “sensational” and firmly believes they are back in the Premier League title race following their 2-1 victory over Tottenham in Wednesday’s north London derby.
With the pressure on to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool, Arsenal mounted a strong comeback after Son Heung-min’s early goal put Tottenham ahead. An own goal by Dominic Solanke levelled the score before Leandro Trossard’s decisive strike gave Arsenal the lead late in the first half at a buzzing Emirates Stadium.
The win, Arsenal’s first in four matches across all competitions, moved them to within four points of Liverpool, who remain title favourites with a game in hand.
Despite the challenge ahead, Arteta is confident Arsenal can compete with Liverpool. When asked if his team are title contenders, he replied, “Yeah, we are. There is so much to play for. We can see how difficult it is for every team.”
The victory was a much-needed morale boost for Arsenal after a series of setbacks, including an FA Cup third-round exit to 10-man Manchester United on penalties, a 2-0 home loss to Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final first leg, and a league draw at Brighton that further stalled their momentum.
Arteta, whose side faces Aston Villa on Saturday, praised his team’s resilience, highlighting the hunger they will need to sustain their title challenge in the second half of the season.
“We were sensational. It was a big test after two games where we didn’t get rewarded,” he said.
“We were incredibly good in the last game against United and ended up losing somehow.
“It’s about how you respond to a situation. These boys want more, they want to be tested and questioned, then they want to go on the pitch. We have big examples of that today, playing 72 hours after 120 minutes on Sunday.
“To play the biggest game of the season for our people, it was a test of attitude, what we are made of, the courage we have. From minute one, we fully deserved to win the game.”
– ‘Unlucky we didn’t score 10’ –
Asked if the win over Tottenham had restored confidence in him and his team, Arteta added: “We can’t control that. We lost in the most incredible way against Manchester United.
“My confidence comes from seeing the players and how they perform every day. If my confidence comes and goes with each result, then we shouldn’t be doing this.”
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, showing the confidence Arteta values, insisted they should have beaten Tottenham by an even greater margin.
“You can tell that tonight meant more than anything. From the first minute, the first half was pure domination,” he said.
“We showed the intent, the pressure, the desire, you could tell it was a derby. I think we were probably unlucky not to score 10. That’s the feeling.”
Rice, who played through injury to anchor Arsenal’s midfield, also responded to his critics, saying: “As I’ve got older, I don’t get the recognition I deserve. I was bought for a big fee and I play for Arsenal. Not a lot of people like Arsenal. I keep my head down and I know my qualities.”
Like Arteta, the former West Ham star believes Liverpool can be caught, as long as Arsenal take advantage of any further slip-ups from their rivals.
“Every time Liverpool have drawn, we haven’t capitalised on it and that’s been a kick in the teeth,” he said.
“To close the gap is important. It was a big night for us.”
