Mikel Arteta is proud of the discipline his players showed in their 1-0 win against Newcastle United in the Premier League today. The result moved Arsenal back to the top of the league table, providing another significant step in their pursuit of the title.
The Gunners began the match strongly and looked the better side during the opening stages. However, as the contest developed, Newcastle grew into the game and pushed hard in search of a result, forcing Arsenal to defend resolutely for long periods.
Arteta Praises Arsenal’s Discipline
Many expected the fixture to be more comfortable for Arsenal because Newcastle United had entered the match on a poor run of form. Instead, the visitors made life difficult and ensured the home side had to work tirelessly to protect their lead.
Arsenal were unable to secure the victory without pressure and discomfort, but they remained organised and committed throughout. Their defensive discipline proved crucial as Newcastle searched for an equaliser in the latter stages.
Arteta was pleased not only with the result but also with the mentality his players displayed under pressure. As reported via the BBC, he said: “Much better. We know what is at stake. The margins are really small. We started the game really well, scored a beautiful goal. I loved the personality of the players. We were so disciplined without the ball, we only conceded one chance with [Yoane] Wissa.
“We can miss chances but it is how the team reacts immediately and the effort that we put. We have to have something else to win games.”
Arsenal Show Different Side of Their Game
Those comments highlighted the importance of resilience at this stage of the season. While attractive attacking football often receives the most attention, title races can also be shaped by determination, concentration and defensive structure.
Arsenal demonstrated all of those qualities in a hard-fought contest. Although they may have preferred a more comfortable afternoon, the ability to manage difficult moments can prove just as valuable as dominant displays.
Returning to the top of the table will give the squad confidence heading into the remaining fixtures. With margins so small, Arteta will be encouraged that his team can win in different ways when circumstances demand it.
The Gunners now know every match is vital, and performances built on discipline may be essential in the weeks ahead.
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“The margins are really SMALL“
Just like our lead at the top
I don’t think it was nerves playing on the players, I think performance was purely tactics. I think we play best with a high line of engagement, Ode waving his arms forward for colleagues to engage and keep yeti trapped, I noticed right from the start the exact opposite, Ode waving his arms the other way off the ball back into position asap. It worked.
Maybe we should pipe down as fans, maybe tactically it was the right thing to do. Are we looking at it selfishly from just our own perspective? Do all football fans go through the same thing in tight title races? Yesterdays tactics, yesterdays win, yesterday’s fan suffering – maybe This is exactly how sides winning trophies get it over the line? All winning clubs. In all history of football.
Are Arsenal fans still listening to Gary Handbrake Neville? He kept flagging up how many more shots Newcastle were getting. But they were like Dan Burn letting fly from 35 yards and nearly hitting the corner flag. At no point did I actually feel uncomfortable during this game.
Moon Girl,
Leave captain fantastic alone, he got a shot on target. I had to look twice, but I can confirm it did actually happen.
You leave Captain Fantastic alone. You don’t understand lessons from rocket science. If Arteta is God, Odegaard is the Pope. MA’s representative on pitch. Ode’s presence on pitch, lung busting running around with purpose and windmill arm waving makes all the difference to our performance. I’m not joking, it’s just like rocket science. I don’t want to bore you, but i know all about rocket science. Professor Froggard was expert in Rocket Science, he had a qualification in it. His rockets went so high, but he wanted higher so he looked at the rocket mixture and took out all the things he considered impurities. Froggards rockets then didn’t go so high. In the original mixture was an X Factor. For us that is Odegaard. If he was in Vikings on the telly, I’m sure they would call him Odd-a-gud, maybe we say it wrong.
Saka was X-Factor in his cameo. Like dropping something into Froggards rocket mixture which then woke the engine up.
It wasn’t pretty but we held on to win.In many games against Newcastle we have been the better side in terms of possession but lost.The fact that Rice and Zubimendi are clearly in the red zone was compounded by the absence of Norgaard who I assume is yet another casualty?So we had the situation where we had only two recognised central midfielders plus MLS who has never started in midfield this season .Whatever happens in the remaining matches we need to beef up our midfield n terms of numbers, quality and energy.We are currently lacking box to box operators and the idea that you need to be a number ten to produce creativity and chances is a fallacy.Running off the ball to create space is the way to upset the plans of opponents and to do this, it helps to have speed and attacking inclinations in the full back positions.Timber apart, we are deficient in this area although I appreciate the battling qualities of Hincapie who is a natural left centre back..In any event, we got the three points so on to Fulham.
You asked yesterday why Norgard didn’t make the squad. Arteta left him out because of squad numbers. I find that amazing. He is not injured.
He then used Skells in the Zoob role. I for one would like to see more of that. Don’t sell him to manure, use him in our midfield.
Agree wholeheartedly Reggie.The bench was unbalanced and Norgaard would be the natural replacement for Zubemendi who apparently was feeling unwell, and is, in any event struggling.The need for athletic recruitment in the engine room seems to me very obvious.
It just shows to me even more how misguided and maljudged Artetas opinion of Zubimendi is. He is his his choice of Partey replacement and he isn’t. Like you say, the bench was totally unbalanced and to leave Norgard out was misjudged.
I thought Zubimendi was fine yesterday,particularly going forward. It’s Rice who I thought was completely knackered. There was a chance Zubimendi created for him and he couldn’t even get a shot off. His deliveries from dead balls haven’t been as great as before. They have both overplayed and it has affected their performances.
As for Norgaard,there must be something about him that we don’t know about. I’ve made peace with the fact that we are not going to see him probably play for Arsenal again this season. The best we can hope for is that Myles can be trusted to take minute off of Rice and Zubimendi.
You make an interesting point about Norgard, although I’m sure I’ve seen him on the bench for European games
It’s a puzzling one about Norgaard. They clearly don’t trust him on some level. Which makes me wonder,could the club have pushed for a midfielder in January? City identified their flaws,got Semenyo & Guehi in and it has made a huge difference for them.
Me thinks we should have gotten a midfielder in,knowing Norgaard pretty much doesn’t count.
The Norgaard situation has been a real head scratcher especially given that he was such a relatively early acquisition which most believed to be a shrewd bit of business. I understand that MA may have very limited specific times in which he sees Norgaard as the best sub or even starter but he’s been used so little that logic suggests that something else has been at play.
Zubimendi looked the knackered one, he always does. Rice was our best player again. If he looked knackered its because he does all the work in midfield.
I thought Hincapie was our best player yesterday. I’m sure most Arsenal fans would agree. Him and Saliba were better than the rest.
Wasn’t a good game from Rice by his usual standards.He uncharacteristically gave the ball away and didn’t shoot when he had the chance. But it’s understandable given the minutes he’s played without rest.
Many of the players have looked knackered over the last several weeks and the first sign of it is a decrease and more personal management in movement off the ball followed closely by a decrease in technical abilities.
maybe he chose Skelly on the bench because with Calafiori not quite ready he covers two positions?
That’s what I thought.
The margins are small. Well widen the pitch then.