Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal’s mentality after the 1-0 win over Newcastle, insisting his side are ready for the pressure of the Premier League title run-in.
Mikel Arteta insisted Arsenal are ready for the pressure of the Premier League title run-in after their 1-0 win over Newcastle United sent them back to the top of the table.
Eberechi Eze’s early goal was enough to secure a vital victory at the Emirates Stadium, with Arsenal recovering from back-to-back defeats and moving back above Manchester City with four league games remaining. Arteta had framed the match as “game one” in the final stretch, and he was pleased that his side delivered the result they needed.
“I’m really happy for the win,” Arteta said in his post-match press conference. “We talked about game one and how important that was.”
The Arsenal manager felt his side could have made the afternoon more comfortable, particularly given the chances they had to extend the lead. But with Newcastle still in the game at 1-0, Arsenal had to manage a tense finish and defend their box under pressure.
“We should have finished probably with a bigger margin in certain moments of the game,” Arteta said. “But when it’s 1-0 it’s always tough, because they have quality and because they brought so many good players from the bench as well.”
Arteta also pushed back against the idea that the run-in should be expected to feel comfortable. Asked whether Arsenal could handle four more games as emotionally draining as this one, he made clear that the difficulty is part of chasing a title.
“I don’t expect after 22 years not winning it that it’s going to be a path of roses and beautiful music around it,” he said. “It’s going to be like this and we are ready for it.”
There was also praise for Bukayo Saka, who returned from injury as a second-half substitute. Arteta said the winger looked sharp and gave the team and the stadium a lift after a period out.
“He’s back,” Arteta said. “I think he looked sharp. He looked good. He looked fresh. You certainly noticed something different in the team, in the stadium as well when he comes in.”
Arteta also addressed the VAR check on Nick Pope’s challenge on Viktor Gyokeres, which did not result in a red card. The Arsenal manager was clear in his view that Newcastle should have been reduced to 10 men.
“In my opinion it’s a clear red card,” he said. “I watched it 10 times. If you have ever played football, it is a red card.”
The win gives Arsenal momentum before Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid, although there are fitness concerns over Eze and Kai Havertz after both came off. Arteta described them as “muscular niggles” and said the club would wait to see whether they are available.
For now, the wider message was about Arsenal doing what they could control. “We had to do what was in our hands,” Arteta said. “We’ve done it. We wanted bigger margins. It’s not been possible, but we certainly done the job.”