Mikel Arteta shared his thoughts on the 90 minute display of **Arsenal**against Crystal Palace.
He expected a tough test against the solid 5-2-3 system of the **FA Cup**and Community Shield title winners, who gave away only one effort before the game winning volleyed finish from Eberechi Eze.
The goal came from a Gabriel Magalhaes flick on at a free kick, but the continued trend of strikes from set plays does not matter to the manager. Goals and wins are top of the agenda, and he was thankful for the contributions of the fans at the Emirates Stadium to push the side over the line.
“We have managed to be very stable, playing the game that we have to play. In the first half we were a bit stuck, but we found a way to score a goal and in the second half we attacked better and were more fluent. But with 1-0, we knew that we had to suffer because a team has to score goals to beat any other opponent this season, so to keep the clean sheet is very important.
“Big credit to them, because when we tried to do something they adjusted to it, the way they are set up, they don’t jump to things, they don’t get attracted to things. The two outside players in the back line are really aggressive, so it’s really difficult to find those spaces.
*“Then you know the moment they regain the ball, they have a focal point of Jean-Philippe Mateta, two runners, and you have to be very disciplined, because the moment you lose that, on top of the two wing-backs running, you can get very exposed.*
“I said to the boys, we’re going to have a long match, we have to be stable emotionally, direct when we have the opportunity to attack them and take our chances. There’s not going to be that many.”
“It doesn’t make a difference how difficult it is, I think they all have the same value. We are noticing a shift, the moment the physicality increases, methods that are implemented are more efficient, and the game is more difficult to play because you can constrain spaces, because physically you are better. You have to find ways to score in different ways and that’s what I think everybody’s trying to do.
“There were a few moments when I described [the crowd playing with the team], Riccardo Calafiori going on the floor and putting a tackle in, Jurrien the same, the way Viktor Gyokeres was chasing every single ball. Some individual actions on the ball as well, I think we are getting better at. The crowd was playing the game with us and it makes such a difference, so thanks to them.”