"I thought it was the best starting eleven. Nobody asked me about the midfield trio when we beat Bilbao," Arteta said after the draw against Man City at the Emirates on 21/9.
In the Champions League match against Bilbao on 16/9, Arteta used a midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, and Mikel Merino, with captain Martin Odegaard absent due to injury. Arsenal won that match 2-0 thanks to goals from substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
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Mikel Arteta manages during the 1-1 draw against Man City in the fifth round of the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium, London, England on 21/9/2025. Photo: Shutterstock |
Mikel Arteta manages during the 1-1 draw against Man City in the fifth round of the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium, London, England on 21/9/2025. Photo: Shutterstock
Arteta retained the same midfield against Man City. Only when Arsenal were struggling and trailing after the first half did the Spanish manager bring on Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and Gabriel Martinelli. Eze provided the assist for Martinelli's chipped goal in added time, securing the 1-1 draw.
"Let people say what they want, but there were still many attacking players in the starting lineup," Arteta responded when questioned about using a more defensive midfield trio. "We started well, completely dominated, and rendered Man City almost ineffective apart from their early goal. They had one chance from a corner, one counter-attack, and one from our misplaced pass. That's it. To keep them to just that, I have to take my hat off to my players."
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Eberechi Eze takes a shot after coming on in the second half against Man City. Photo: The Guardian |
Eberechi Eze takes a shot after coming on in the second half against Man City. Photo: The Guardian
Arsenal controlled 67.2% of the possession in the match – the highest percentage any opponent has achieved against a team managed by Pep Guardiola in his 601 league games. Arteta also became the first manager to go unbeaten in five consecutive league matches against Guardiola.
However, the 43-year-old manager still expressed regret that Arsenal didn't secure all three points. "I am incredibly proud of the players and how we played, dominating almost every aspect except the scoreline. To do that against Man City is truly extraordinary. But I’m still disappointed with the result," he said.
New signing Viktor Gyokeres, worth 86 million USD, disappointed, playing the full 90 minutes without a single shot. According to Arteta, this was due to his teammates not finding the decisive pass for the Swedish striker. "There were many quality crosses, and he was very close to getting a shot off. But against an opponent like Man City, creating a truly clear-cut chance is extremely difficult," he explained.
The draw puts Arsenal back in second place with 10 points, ahead of Tottenham and Bournemouth on goal difference but five points behind Liverpool, who have won every game so far this season. "We can't control Liverpool winning all their matches," Arteta said about the title race. "Of course, that makes the race more challenging. But if we keep playing with the quality and confidence we are showing now, Arsenal will be fine."
On 24/9, Arsenal will travel to League One club Port Vale in the third round of the League Cup.
Compiled by Hong Duy
