Arsenal 1–0 Norwich City: Mikel Arteta Reveals He Had ‘The Best 10–15 Days’ After Gunners Clinch First Win of Premier League 2021–22 Season
Mikel Arteta has been under a lot of pressure and criticism for Arsenal's rough start to the Premier League this season. They were defeated in all three matches before the international break, the last of which was a hammering at the hands of champions Manchester City. On Saturday, they finally got back to winning ways with a 1-0 win over Norwich City.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was indeed a relieved man after his side clinched their first win of the Premier League this season against Norwich City on Saturday. A solitary goal from captain Pierre Emerick Aubameyang was enough to hand the Gunners their first points of the season which helped them climb out of the relegation spots. Arsenal had a very difficult start to the season, losing their first three matches, conceding nine goals and scoring none in the process. And their last defeat came at the hands of defending champions Manchester City, who put five past them at the Etihad before the international break. Netizens React As Cristiano Ronaldo’s Brace Leads Manchester United To Win Over Newcastle United in Premier League
Arteta, while speaking after the match said, "I must say that probably it has been the best 10-15 days I have ever had since I have been in football. I am not saying that they were the easiest, but probably the best. Because you have to find a purpose, why do what you do and why you have made the decision to become a football player, a coach."
While opening up on the dressing room atmosphere in the midst of such difficult results for the club, the Spaniard added, “It is about the relationships that we have built, it is about the level of trust that everybody at the club has, the connections. Emotionally, how players react, how everybody in the team - and I am talking about any department at the club - supports, follows and tries to be positive around the situation. You have to win football matches but it is a joy to watch how everyone was behaving around the context that we had around."
The victory though wasn't convincing enough. Arsenal could have scored more goals but for now, this win would help both the team and Arteta breath a huge sigh of relief. Arsenal handed a Premier League debut to deadline day signing Takehiro Tomiyasu, who looked solid at the back and had a relatively good match. New signing Aaron Ramsdale also made his debut for Arsenal in the Premier League, replacing German keeper Bernd Leno in goal. Manchester United Players React After 4–1 Win Over Newcastle at Old Trafford in Premier League 2021-22 (Check Posts)
“What I am describing is probably what you guys don’t see, what is happening internally. And then I have doubts, I have question marks because obviously, I had to read, I had to understand, I had to reflect a little bit on different opinions and criticism and I don’t know how much they are going to be affected. I think the club has been extremely open in trying to send a message across of what we are trying to do and I have question marks. I have to be honest," he also stated.
Arsenal's next match would be against Burnley in an away fixture on September 18 and the Gunners would aim to build on this momentum and put on another good performance against Sean Dyche's men at the Turf Moor.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 12, 2021 11:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).