Coach Mikel Arteta lauded Arsenal after their thrilling win against Newcastle, which has revived their championship ambitions.
Mikel Arteta highly commended his players’ “bravery” after Gabriel Magalhaes’ 96th-minute header secured a 2-1 win for Arsenal at St. James’ Park in a gripping match.
After the match, Arteta stated: “I feel proud and believe we fully deserved the victory. The way we played, competed, and created chances clearly showed that. Even though the win was dramatic, it was well earned. Arsenal have stepped up to another level, overcoming tough moments and learning from them. This is a great opportunity to prove who we are against a truly formidable opponent.”
Mikel Arteta expresses pride in his team’s performance (Photo: GOAL).
Arteta further emphasized: “The courage, determination, and quality we displayed today were outstanding. To rise to a new height, you have to come to challenging places like this and find ways to win.”
Controversy also arose in the first half when Viktor Gyokeres fell inside the box after contact with Nick Pope. Referee Jarred Gillett initially awarded Arsenal a penalty, but after consulting VAR, he overturned the decision. Regarding this incident, Arteta asserted: “If it’s not a clear and serious error, VAR should not intervene. This was clearly a penalty.”
Arsenal denied a controversial penalty by VAR (Photo: SkySports).
After Arsenal’s penalty appeal was rejected by VAR, home striker Nick Woltemade scored the opening goal in the 34th minute. Despite creating numerous chances, Arsenal kept running into the excellent form of goalkeeper Nick Pope. It wasn’t until the 84th minute that substitute Mikel Merino headed in a precise equalizer for the visitors.
Just when it seemed the match would end 1-1, Gabriel shone at the crucial moment with a towering header from a corner delivered by Martin Odegaard, securing three valuable points for Arsenal in the title race.
With this win, Arsenal climbed to second place in the Premier League table, just two points behind Liverpool, who slipped up against Crystal Palace last weekend.
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