Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal FC’s determination and resilience after a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion kept the Gunners firmly at the summit of the Premier League.
The decisive moment came early in the contest when Bukayo Saka struck to hand Arsenal the lead.
From that point forward, however, the encounter became a test of grit and defensive resolve as the visitors battled through an intense contest to secure three valuable points.
Speaking after the final whistle, Arteta admitted the match demanded a huge effort from his players following a relentless schedule in recent weeks.
“I loved it,” the gaffer said. “It was a really tough one, we knew that.
“We played so many games with very, very high intensity and demands, and you could see in certain moments that we lacked freshness, especially with the ball, to have more composure, for the heart rate to be a little bit lower to make better decisions and be a bit more precise.”
As the game progressed, the Gunners had to rely less on fluid attacking play and more on resilience and discipline to see out the result.
“So when you don’t do that, you have to do a lot of very good things. You want to win in this league, especially here at Brighton, and the team showed an incredible desire, determination and attitude to win the game.
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. And emotionally to handle the things that we are handling. A lot of players are with a lot of issues, not really training and going through that. So I really value what they do.”
The Arsenal boss reserved special praise for Saka, whose match-winning strike came on a milestone night for the academy graduate as he reached 300 appearances for the club.
“It’s a huge number for him, a huge number at his age, with the numbers that he has produced as well in those 300 games. So congratulations to him. It’s a pleasure to have him.
“I loved the connection with our people. I mean, our supporters were phenomenal throughout the night. How loud they were, how passionate they are.
“The way they are living the moment with us. It’s remarkable. They brought a lot of energy to the team today.”
The victory strengthens Arsenal’s grip at the top of the table as the title race intensifies in the closing stretch of the season.
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