Mikel Arteta spoke to TNT Sports after Arsenal’s tricky [2-1 win over Leeds](https://arseblog.news/2026/10/report-arsenal-2-1-leeds-inc-goals-2/) today. Here’s what he had to say.
**On what pleased him most?**
“Well, before the game, we talked about two things. One, the challenge ahead, because it’s a team that hasn’t lost yet in the Premier League. They fully deserved to be where they are, and it was going to be really tough. And the second one, to restore our identity and to be ourselves again, regardless of the context of the match or what happened.
“We weren’t pleased about what we did against Brighton, and today was an opportunity to prove that right. And the context took us to the probably most difficult one, to really prove that we are made of something that is special and unique. And we certainly reacted in a manner that we expected.”
**How did Leeds make it so difficult?**
“Well, two things. First of all, they are extremely well organised, they are very physical, they are committed in everything that they do. When you don’t finish the actions – we hit some great areas in the first half to have much more end product than we did – and we lost the ball just before the last action.
“Now when that happens, they have moments to run, they are a threat. If you keep fouling them or give them throw-ins and restarts and set-pieces, they are incredible. The way they attack, the belief and conviction they have to attack the box.
“And they could have punished us in one or two occasions in the first half. They have individual quality and they are in a good moment, like any other Premier League team, and this is a good testament to the league.”
**On the equaliser changing the mood?**
“Yes, because when you play 12.30 at home and then you go one-nil down, it’s a lot to do. You have to restore a lot of things and the energy is one of them. We had an incredible response immediately after that goal.
“We could sense the crowd, the energy changed immediately, and the finishers come in and make a huge difference as well to help us to win the game.”
**On what he wanted from his subs?**
Well, first of all, we brought a lot of leadership in those three players. We added a goal threat, people who could win duels because it was a team that was very man-to-man orientated. People that can get away from that, people that can play forwards and penetrate against this high press, and they did an incredible job.
**On Arsenal scoring a beautiful second goal…**
“It was good. The players are unpredictable to hit different spaces. The timing, I think, the connection and the execution of it, it was a beauty.”
**On the importance on winning ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League game?**
“Yeah, immediately after a bad result and three weeks without your players, you just question, OK, how are we going to be? We reacted incredibly well.
“We really need to enjoy the victory because we are realising how this Premier League is going to pan out, and now immediately switch on because on Tuesday we have a big one again.”