Mikel Arteta has expressed his delight with Arsenal's "unbelievable" performance following their dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against Newcastle United at St James' Park on Sunday. The Gunners snatched the win with a late goal, closing the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to just two points.
After Liverpool's defeat against Crystal Palace, Arsenal were determined to avoid a similar fate. Despite dominating for long periods, they found themselves trailing after Nick Woltemade headed home for Newcastle in the 34th minute. However, Arsenal's resilience shone through as they fought back to secure the win.
Mikel Merino's late equalizer for Arsenal and Gabriel Magalhaes's stoppage-time winner sparked scenes of jubilation. Speaking after the game, Arteta struggled to contain his excitement, describing the feeling as "unbelievable". He emphasized the significance of such victories, highlighting the team's character and determination to fight until the very end.
Arteta praised his team's courage, determination, and quality throughout the match. He believes the lessons learned from this hard-fought victory will be invaluable as Arsenal strives to reach the next level. He also lauded the impact of the players coming off the bench, further emphasizing the squad's overall strength and depth. Making nine changes to the starting lineup for their victory over Port Vale in the Carabao Cup third round, Arteta expressed pleasure with his team's performance.
Arsenal were denied a penalty in the first half after a VAR review overturned the original decision. Arteta, bemused by the intervention, stated that VAR should not intervene if there is no clear and obvious error.
Gary Neville, a Sky Sports pundit, said Arsenal's late-gasp win at Newcastle will "give them huge confidence" in their title challenge. He acknowledged that questions had been asked of Arsenal recently but praised Arteta's positive team selection and substitutions against Newcastle. Neville believes Arsenal showed intent and used all the weapons in their armory to secure the victory.
Arsenal's ability to capitalize on Liverpool's slip-up and secure a late win demonstrates their growing maturity and title credentials. The Gunners have shown they possess the fighting spirit and quality needed to compete at the highest level.
