Arteta hails Arsenal players and delivers message to critics following late win over Sporting | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta hailed the way his Arsenal players responded to their recent setbacks after beating Sporting CP in the Champions League.

Arsenal take a 1-0 lead back to the Emirates Stadium after Kai Havertz’s late winner in their Champions League quarter final first leg.

And the Arsenal boss offered a response to his side’s critics of late following defeats to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, and then Southampton in the FA Cup.

“The demands from August are win, win, win and win,” he said. “If you don’t win, it’s a disaster and it’s not enough.

“If you don’t win four trophies, it’s ‘what are we doing?’. That’s fine, but they need some perspective.

“Especially from my side, it’s a big reminder of what we are as a team and the things that have brought us to where we are.

“Live in the present, do your best, and let’s see what happens.

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“When you have a difficult period, the best thing you can do is not talk a lot, but observe.

“Look around you and see how people react. How they talk, how they look at you, how they judge you, what they do, do they look at themselves or start to criticise other people?

“Look around and you’re going to learn about the environment and the people that you have around you.

“I cannot be prouder to work in a club with people that the only thing they could do is ask what else they can do to help. When you have people like this, I don’t know if it’s going to take another week or two (to bounce back) but something good will happen in the end because we deserve it.”

Arteta also lauded the impact of Havertz, who came off the bench to win the game in second-half stoppage time.

“A lot of big moments, he’s done it,” Arteta said.

“It’s a really important thing to have in the team. Today he was ready, I could see from the disappointment of the other day that he wanted to play immediately.

“The action for the goal, both from Gabi and him, is fabulous.”

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