Mikel Arteta could not hide his delight after Arsenal earned a commanding 2-0 win over Brighton in the Carabao Cup. The Gunners advanced to the quarter-finals thanks to goals from Hale End graduates Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka.
It was another strong performance from a rotated squad, as Arteta made 10 changes and still watched his team deliver on both ends of the pitch. From academy brilliance to defensive solidity, the night had Arsenal fans buzzing again.
“A beautiful evening for many reasons,” he said. “We are in the quarterfinals of the competition. We changed a lot of players today. We played players I never played before together against a very strong Premier League team.”
The boss handed first starts to Max Dowman and Andre Harriman-Annous, and both youngsters rose to the occasion. Arteta could not hide his pride in their maturity and composure on a big night.
“We had two debuts as a starter with Max and with Andre as well — I think everybody feels very, very proud of what they’ve done,” he added. “The way they have responded to this huge challenge at their age and the fact that we won the game.”
Defensively, Arsenal continued to impress. A new partnership of Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera held firm, delivering the club’s sixth straight clean sheet. The pairing showed great chemistry despite never playing together before.
“They’d never played together, so to build that chemistry, it takes time. I think they’ve done really, really well today. Again, for Piero especially… to have his first start with the club.”
With eight consecutive wins across all competitions and momentum building fast, the Emirates crowd played its part once again. The stadium bounced from whistle to whistle, fueling the young side’s energy.
“I think it was a full house again. They really supported the team; you could sense the energy,” Arteta continued. “I’m really pleased to see that kind of turnaround, and very grateful.”
The North London heavyweights continue to march forward with confidence and the depth, youth, and energy Arteta celebrated all point to a squad ready to compete on every front.
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