Arteta hails Arsenal performance in front of Arsene Wenger

After the game, Mikel Arteta praised his team’s performance in the London derby.

"I'm really happy with the performance first of all and then the result.

"Obviously, the context of the game was that they went a goal up, but you saw the reaction of this crowd, generating belief and just giving a lot of energy to the team and the team showed a lot of composure and real quality, but also real clarity to understand what the game demanded, and they executed that really well."

 also said

should focus on themselves and not thinking about the title race at this moment.

"What I tell the players is we have to focus on us. We cannot control what the opponents are going to do, how good they are going to become or how many points they are going to get or drop, so we have to focus on our performance, what we are doing every day and what has brought us here.

"It is not a coincidence, so we need to keep doing what we are doing.

"We overcame a challenge and a difficult moment on top of injuries that we had with Jesus, Smith Rowe and Tomiyasu out. The team still believed and played to the level that they did again."

The former manager, Arsene Wenger, watched the game in the stands for the first time since leaving the club in 2018. Arteta revealed that even players didn’t know Wenger was coming to the Emirates stadium.

Arteta said:

"The players didn't know. We wanted to keep it quiet and allow that space for Arsene. Stan and Josh (Kroenke) are here as well. It's a special day.

"Thank you so much for him coming and hopefully walking through the building he is going to feel everything that everybody thinks of him, everything that he left here, but also his presence is something that has to be very attached to this football club. So, thank you for doing that because it means a lot to every body at the club.

"Obviously, it's great and winning my mood is going to be better to speak to him and be around the team. He picked the right moment. It's a really special day because Boxing Day is a beautiful day to play football and I thought the performance today was at a level that he deserved and that hopefully he would like.”

Arteta is hopeful that Wenger spends more time with the club and watches the games from the stands regularly.

He said:

"I have been involved in the process, but it is about him, the timing that he needed to make that step and hopefully he is going to leave here and be willing to spend more time with us and be around us because he's such an influence. For me personally, my career, the way I see the game, but as well for this football club.”

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