Ernesto Valverde defends Athletic Club stars after Arsenal defeat | OneFootball

Athletic Club head coach Ernesto Valverde has moved to back his players, on the back of their opening day defeat in the Champions League.

Athletic of course marked their return to action on Tuesday evening, welcoming Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to Bilbao for a daunting matchup.

When all was said and done, the evening’s hosts found themselves condemned to the wrong side of a 2-0 scoreline.

As much came owing to late goals on the part of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

For the majority of the 90 minutes at San Mamés, though, Athletic held their own, only to be shut down by a stout Arsenal backline.

Speaking to the media in the game’s aftermath, the aforementioned Ernesto Valverde was therefore keen to focus on the positives, explaining:

“It was a fairly even match. We knew they’re very strong in individual duels, and that’s something we’re working on. We tried to put pressure on them up front. It was a very tense match, with disjointed play, and we were determined to capitalize on the chances we had. They caught us out with Martinelli’s play, and the goal hurt us. They were strong, but we suffered from fatigue.

“We were recognizable on the pitch, which is who we are. It was a shame we couldn’t give the fans a win after the atmosphere. You always have to get the result your way. I think we went for it, but this is the Champions League.

“We’re in a top-flight competition, and we have to accept things as they are. The important thing is to stand up to these types of teams and play toe-to-toe against these opponents. They were successful today, but I think we played at a very high level.

“For me, the important thing after losing the other day was to find ourselves again and find our game. This has to come with the passing of matches. Today we saw a recognizable team. In this atmosphere, it’s impossible not to give up trying to win. We stood up to them. I’m happy with everything except the result.”

Conor Laird – GSFN