Mikel Arteta: 'I am very angry about what they have done to Arsenal'

Coach Mikel Arteta addressed the press following the Arsenal vs. Fulham game held at Craven Cottage in the 8th round of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

With a narrow 1-0 victory against their city rivals, the "Gunners" returned to the top of the league table, creating a 3-point gap over the second-placed team and 4 points ahead of Liverpool, who will host Manchester United on the evening of October 19. This result means that Arne Slot’s squad cannot catch Arsenal even if they defeat Man United at Anfield.

The only goal of the match was scored by Leandro Trossard in the second half, following a precise header assist from Gabriel Magalhães off a set piece. This continued Arsenal’s excellent defensive display, as the team did not concede a single shot on target in two consecutive matches. Premier League in a row. However, the final minutes were very tense with VAR being repeatedly used to review controversial situations.

Mikel Arteta showed considerable frustration with the officiating at certain moments, especially regarding the contentious penalty decision. He stated: “I am very angry about what they did to Arsenal concerning the penalty, as it was a fairly clear incident but took too long to review. However, I think they ultimately made the right decision. Anthony explained that the screen had a malfunction, which caused the delay in the review process.”

Regarding the goal from the set piece, Arteta said: “We create many chances from set pieces. When facing teams that defend deep, these moments are crucial opportunities we must capitalize on. Today, scoring from a free kick was very valuable.”

Assessing the match, the Spanish coach affirmed: “Our previous record here was not good, so the whole team was determined to change that. Although we started a bit shaky with some unnecessary turnovers, we quickly took control of the game and showed resilience.”

With this win, Arsenal extend their unbeaten run and continue to hold the top position in the 2025/26 Premier League after round 8, demonstrating their strength and squad depth in the fierce title race.

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