While Mikel Arteta accepts Arsenal were far from their best in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Manchester United, he has hailed the Gunners for showing “phenomenal” mental strength to take the title race to the final day.
Leandro Trossard’s first-half goal was enough to hand Arsenal three points at Old Trafford as they responded to Manchester City’s 4-0 rout of Fulham one day earlier.
While the title race remains in City’s hands, a victory over Tottenham on Tuesday being enough to keep it that way ahead of the final day, any slip-up from the champions could allow Arsenal to clinch the crown by beating Everton next Sunday.
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Arteta was not pleased with aspects of Arsenal’s latest performance as they gave an injury-hit United side plenty of encouragement, but he knows the result was all that mattered.
“Today we weren’t composed or clean enough, we weren’t consistent enough in doing the simple things right. That doesn’t give you control of the game,” Arteta told BBC Sport.
“Some of the players have not been in this position, they don’t know what is at stake and how you must feel emotionally, to have to win and win and win from December or January onwards.
“It is a phenomenal thing they are doing.”
FT scenes at Old Trafford 🙌 pic.twitter.com/SFAABUPmoz
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 12, 2024
Arsenal’s 27th win of the season saw them set a new club record for a Premier League campaign, and while the Gunners were sloppy for much of the game, United failed to consistently trouble David Raya.
Arteta continued: “We needed a result today in a really difficult place. Our history was not in favour of a result today, there was so much at stake and we’re happy with the result.
“We started the game really well and were dominant. We scored the goal and I think the goal led to slightly bad things because we started to play too safe, too sideways, too backwards with not enough structure.
“We started to give the ball away in good areas and that is a danger against them, but we defended well and didn’t concede too much.”
