Arteta loved what he saw from one playerplaceholder image
Arteta loved what he saw from one player | Getty Images
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had special praise for one player after his side’s away win over AFC Bournemouth.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had special praise for one of his players, as well as praising the hero of the game, Declan Rice. The Gunners protected their lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-2 away win over AFC Bournemouth on Saturday evening.
Arsenal went behind after a big mistake from Gabriel Magalhaes at the back, but the defender then popped up at the other end to hammer home the equaliser. Rice then went on to score twice before Bournemouth pulled one back to make it interesting with just under 15 minutes remaining.
The Gunners have now made it through the busiest period of their winter schedule while extending their lead at the top along the way, with a five day gap now between them and their next game, against Liverpool.
After the win over Bournemouth, Arteta reserved special praise for Gabriel after he bounced back from the big error with a goal and an otherwise sound display. He said: “I really love today the next step of the team in terms of individual personality and presence. I think what Gabriel Magalhaes has done after making a big mistake to concede the goal, the way he reacted to that, the way he played afterward, the way he transmitted energy after that, it was remarkable. And Declan, another one.
“Every hour for him was important to be able to be available today. We didn't know for how long. So in the manner that he competed, played and on top of that scored two goals, I think it was outstanding. And a really big message for the team.”
Gabriel is an example, but he’s not the only one
Arteta also pointed out that others have also bounced back from similar scenarios, with his squad showing all the signs of being champion-level resilient. “It’s not just Gabriel who's responded in the past,” added the Arsenal boss.
“You've seen it happen with Saka who's made mistakes and then scored in the same game. Gabi himself in that full-up game with a Mitrovic mistake as well. What is it individually about the players that shows that resilience to turn around and turn those mistakes into big moments?
“Well, this is part of football and it's about how you react to the next action. And you need to have a very short memory to be at the very top constantly. With a positive action it happens the same because there's another one that is the most important one. But today, especially when you concede a goal after that, it's really tough to do it mentally, especially with what is at stake in every game. So I'm very, very impressed with what he's done.”
Continue Reading