Arsenal were boosted by Liverpool’s surprise defeat against Crystal Palace, but fell 1-0 behind away at Newcastle. The substitutes made by Mikel Arteta made a huge impact, pulling the side back from the brink to secure a dramatic three points. After the game, the Gunners boss was full of praise for their influence.
Mikel Arteta Praises Arsenal Substitutes After Dramatic Comeback Against Newcastle
Mikel Arteta Reveals His Post-Game Thoughts on Arsenal’s Substitutes
Arteta’s team were trailing to a 34th-minute goal from Nick Woltemade, and despite being on top for long periods, the Gunners were heading towards defeat. A Mikel Merino equaliser was quickly followed by a header from Gabriel, giving Arteta’s team a well-deserved three points.
The Arsenal manager made five substitutions, with all contributing to this dramatic win.
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When discussing the impact of the subs, Arteta said:
“We certainly did that and I would have to make a few adjustments and substitutions as well for different reasons. The ones that are coming in, they really come in fully focused. My duty is to win the game for the team and all of them did it in an incredible manner.
“Martinelli comes in and it shows from the beginning, his threat. Saliba comes in, 45 minutes and I think it was outstanding. Again, Martin comes in after a long period and delivers two goals that are goals. Mikel Merino comes in which is a massive threat in the box and delivers a winning moment, so credit to all of them.”
Arteta Reflects on Last-Minute Winners and Team Ambition
Arteta also discussed the feelings around last-minute winners:
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“We discussed to go to the next level, first of all you have to learn from the past and certainly we take some lessons and very different and sore moments in this ground. Today was an opportunity that the game brings you again in a really important week in the Premier League after all the tough places that we’ve already been very early in the season to show who we are, who do we want to be, our ambition and the way that we want to play. I think the team has done that today in a remarkable way.”
