Arsenal defeated Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 at home in the second round of the Champions League stage in the early hours of this morning. After the match, Arsenal manager Arteta was interviewed by the club's officials, sharing his thoughts on the match and the team's growth and improvement.
Reflecting on today's match, Arteta said, "It gives me great pleasure to play against a team of a very high level and beat them. Paris Saint-Germain dominate their league with strength, understanding and a variety of tactical options. But we responded very well and showed our character and determination. In the first half we were very impressive, scored two goals and fully deserved to win. I think the guys were really looking forward to the game and showed a lot of grit, which is exactly what I was asking for."
Arteta also spoke about the crowd support: "When the opposition come here, they have to feel our momentum. We had a good rhythm and wanted to play forward and create chances. Once again the crowd support was incredible and gave us a big boost."
On his team's performance, Arteta expressed his satisfaction: "Against these strong teams, we had a good rhythm, wanted to play forward and wanted to create chances. Even though we were pressed hard at some points, we did well. Considering our current situation and the number of matches we've played, I'm really happy."
Meanwhile, Arteta also mentioned the lessons his team learned from last weekend's game against Leicester City: "There are lessons to be learned from what happened the other day. In the opening five minutes we conceded a goal and two yellow cards. It reminds us that both teams' penalty areas are fundamental to winning games. We played very efficiently today, although in the second half, I thought we should have scored at least one more goal. But overall, I'm very happy with what we did and the team is improving."
Arteta said the team will continue to work hard and keep improving their performance, "We still have a lot to improve, but I believe that as long as we keep up this determination and courage, we will be able to go far."
