In a thrilling EFL Cup quarterfinal, Arsenal staged a 3-2 comeback at the Emirates Stadium to advance to the semifinals. After the match, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta gave an in-depth and insightful talk on the club's official website, analyzing the mystery behind his team's victory.
Arteta couldn't hide his joy: "I'm overjoyed for a number of reasons. First of all, we're in the semi-finals of the tournament we're aiming to win. It was a bad start, with a low error that put us in a difficult position, and a chaotic first half that made it difficult for us to create an effective offense. However, after some bloodshed, we were tactically flexible and finally posed a substantial threat to our opponents."
He particularly praised Jesús for his outstanding performance, "It was a night for Jesús, who always gave his all and had no reservations. He did everything he could for the team and today he produced moments three times to help us win the game."
In addition, Arteta recognized the contribution of players such as Kieran Tierney and Laz Sterling, "Players such as Tierney and Sterling, who haven't had many chances to play recently, showed their value tonight and contributed to the team in the right way. It was a memorable night."
Regarding the substitutions in the second half, Arteta believes it was the key to turning the game around: "We needed new energy and made decisive substitutions, which really changed the direction of the game. The substitutes showed a positive mentality and the help they gave the team cannot be underestimated."
Arsenal have now gone 16 games unbeaten at the Emirates and Arteta was proud: "It was fantastic, the atmosphere tonight was unbelievable. The energy and commitment shown by the team, especially with the intensive schedule, was amazing. I'm so grateful for the support of the fans, the energy really changed the game."
Tierney played for Arsenal for the first time since the 2023 Community Shield, and Arteta welcomed his return: 'That's the beauty of soccer - it goes round and round'. He was out on loan, came back after injury and has worked tirelessly to earn our trust back. He proved his worth and tonight's performance proved it."
Looking ahead, Arsenal will face Crystal Palace again this weekend. Arteta said, "We have to be ready for this game and looking back at the last game, both teams may have made some adjustments. Our aim is to outclass our opponents and win again."
