Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reacts to todays performance and being 3-0 at half time before the end result of 3-2 at the North London Derby against Tottenham gaining valuable 3 points and securing top of the table in the Premier League title race
Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium, London, UK
Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium, London, UK
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00:00 "It was a really emotional game.
00:06 A very tough place to come, obviously.
00:08 Incredible atmosphere, stadium and a great team to play against.
00:11 3-0 up, you are in control of the game, you come in the second half, we are dominating
00:17 the game and creating chances and then an individual error happens, that clicks something,
00:22 it puts a wrong message in your brain but I think we started to deal with the situation
00:26 better.
00:27 It's game one and then it's game on and they have the players and they have the courage
00:31 as well to put a lot of players forward.
00:35 Now we have to dig in, suffer and react and I'm very pleased with the way the team has
00:39 done it."
00:40 What were your thoughts on the error?
00:43 "It's part of football.
00:45 It's a sequence of play.
00:46 I don't like it, I don't like the principles that we apply.
00:51 In that moment and the orientation of the ball and after that it can happen, you misjudge
00:57 the situation, you try to make the pass and you don't and you are in doubt zone.
01:03 And the scorers take advantage of that and the penalties is another principle inside
01:07 the box that you cannot do.
01:08 It's part of football.
01:09 What I love is David does that, he picks my hands up, that is quite heavy and then he
01:14 was sensational for the last 20-25 minutes of the game and this is what I love about
01:19 our plays."
01:20 Is that what we saw at the end of the season?
01:28 "Yeah, maybe you could have given me the advice as well of trying not to make it hard
01:32 for yourself.
01:34 But at the end you can just pretend to come here and don't suffer and have a comfortable
01:40 afternoon and play a special part because it doesn't happen and you just have to see
01:44 the games that have been played against the top teams because they are a really good side."
01:47 Was it a good plan in the first half to sit as deep as you did?
01:53 "No, they force you.
01:54 We had an issue with the high press, we gave so many balls away, simple balls, our ball
01:59 circulation wasn't good enough.
02:01 The result has an impact, you are 2-0 up and the result is having an impact as well.
02:05 To feel more comfortable doing that we looked at real threat as well.
02:09 On the counters they commit so many players so they force you as well with their structure
02:12 as well to have one or two more players in certain areas that provokes you to be a little
02:17 bit deeper.
02:18 We were OK, we didn't really concede much there but I think the second half in certain
02:24 moments especially with the ball was better."
02:25 What's better for the psychology of time to wait?
02:29 Winning 3-0 comfortably or coming through that?
02:31 "I don't know, we're going to make that the second option is a great one and the players
02:36 can be more convinced.
02:37 We've done it two years in a row here which is extremely difficult.
02:40 The manner was different last year as well, we had to suffer in the second half to win
02:45 the game.
02:46 It's great, the team has another tool, something else to grab, that is the confidence that
02:53 at a big stage when you have to come to a big stadium you can go and win it.
02:57 So good learning."
02:58 We've talked a lot about Kari Havertz recently, but today we saw a 40-yard pass but an assist
03:05 was not the slightest header for a goal.
03:07 Are we seeing him on more and more parts of this game?
03:10 He was quite a complete centre forward."
03:12 "He was sensational in every department today.
03:14 He was 100 per cent ill before the match, he was a bit struggling and still he put the
03:21 performance that he's put in.
03:23 I thought he was unbelievable today."
03:25 What is it about your team that enabled them to come back from that difficult period where
03:32 it looked like everything was going wrong?
03:36 What can you tell us about them and their approach and how they behave with each other?
03:45 "First of all, how much you want it, how much they want it.
03:49 Don't feel sorry for yourself.
03:51 It's part of the journey, it's part of when you are at the highest competitive level you're
03:56 going to have disappointment, the margins are so small, they're not going to go always
03:59 for you.
04:00 And then how you react to that and face the challenge, face the opportunity and be brave.
04:07 I think this team has a lot of courage and determination to make it happen."
04:12 You have so much faith in the guys on the pitch it seems.
04:15 "I do have, yes.
04:16 The last few minutes I was doubting a little bit to be fair, but I think we were all there.
04:22 They gave me no reason, I said to you before, they're going to be ready for Sunday.
04:26 They played, as you said, a lot of minutes, a lot of games, emotionally very demanding
04:30 month, but yesterday I had to stop any training because they wanted more.
04:36 So that's a good sign."
04:38 Do you think that whatever happens now, this team has shown that they can handle this stage
04:47 of the season better than last year?
04:50 "I think when you win it's always the case.
04:54 Last year we didn't because we went to West Ham and with that result we missed a penalty.
04:59 And against Liverpool you concede in the 91st and then you are not capable.
05:03 So at the end that judgement is going to be based on the result, not the outcome.
05:07 If you concede that goal in the last minute and it's 3-3, then we're not ready.
05:11 So the margins are so small.
05:13 So don't get carried away with yourself, just understand that we have to be better, we want
05:18 to be better, there are margins for improvement.
05:20 And go again against Bournemouth, that's going to be really tough."
05:23 Do you see it in the players' eyes that they're going to fight until the very last second
05:29 no matter what?
05:31 "Yes, 100 per cent.
05:33 I've seen that the whole season and they give me the reason to believe that every single
05:39 day.
05:40 Obviously we are right on it.
05:41 Motivation and what is ahead is beautiful.
05:44 Obviously we are expecting that they're going to have a real goal."
05:48 Thank you Rob.
05:49 "Thank you."
05:51 "Thank you."
05:52 "Thank you."
05:53 "Thank you."
05:53 "Thank you."
05:54 "Thank you."
05:55 "Thank you."
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