Mikel Arteta has cautioned rivals and league leaders Liverpool that his “sensational” Arsenal team are back in the mix for the title race after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the north London derby on Wednesday.
Seriously searching for a win to cut the gap on Premier League front-runners Liverpool, Arteta’s charges fought back from Son Heung-Min’s early goal for Spurs.
An own goal from Dominic Solanke and a fine strike from Leandro Trossard put them ahead before the end of the first half at a bouncing Emirates Stadium.
Sitting in second place thanks to the result, this is Arsenal’s first win in four games in all competitions which moved them four points adrift of the top spot.
Quizzed if Arsenal can still contend for England’s biggest prize, despite Arne Slot’s team still in the driving seat as favourites, Arteta responded with lots of positivity.
“Yeah we are. There is so much to play for. We can see how difficult it is for every team.”
Knocked out of the FA Cup third round by 10-man Manchester United on penalties on Sunday, days after losing 2-0 at home to Newcastle in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final — the victory against their bitter rivals was desperately needed for Arsenal.
A draw at Brighton in the league prior to those disappointing results had left the injury-hit Gunners staring at another failure in their hunt for a first title since 2004.
However, Arteta, whose side face another stern outing against Aston Villa on Saturday, was relieved to see his players show the desire they will need to overtake Liverpool in the second half of the season.
“We were sensational. It was a big test after two games and not getting rewarded,” he said.
“We were incredibly good in the last game against United and we ended up losing somehow.
“It’s how you respond to a situation. These boys want more, They want to be tested and questioned, then they want to go on the pitch. We have big examples of that today, playing 72 hours after 120 minutes on Sunday.
“To play the biggest game of the season for our people, it was a test of attitude, what we are made of, the courage we have. From minute one, we fully deserved to win the game.”
Further questioned on whether the north London derby success had revived confidence in Arteta and his team, the Spaniard once echoed his admiration for his players.
“We can’t control that. We lost in the most incredible way against Manchester United.
“My confidence comes from seeing the players and how they perform every day. If my confidence comes and goes with each result then we should not be doing this.”
