Mikel Arteta hails the historic Arsenal Anfield win after Fleetwood pain, as his side beat Liverpool 1-0 on Sunday and ended a 14-year wait at the ground. The victory came just days after a bruising cup defeat, and the Arsenal boss spoke openly afterwards about what it meant to him, his players and the club.
Better as a Manager Than as a Player
Arteta was asked whether winning at Anfield feels better as a player or a manager. He had no doubt about his answer.
“Now, it feels better as a manager because it’s been such a long time without having this feeling here that we really needed it. We’re extremely proud of what the team, the players, everybody has done.”
The importance of the moment is clear. The club had gone 14 years without taking the points at this ground, and the manager was keen to credit everyone involved.
Bouncing Back From Fleetwood
The backdrop made the result even more striking. Arsenal arrived at Anfield after losing to Fleetwood and going out of the cup. Arteta admitted the mood around that defeat was grim.
“Especially in the condition that we arrived to this game, where we were after the defeat against Fleetwood, it looks like the end of the world. It looks like, yeah, what are we doing? Then you have to pick yourself up, understand that this is the beautiful part of this game.”
He described the challenge his players faced. They believed they had done enough to deserve victory, yet they were knocked out. Four days later they had to face a Liverpool side in strong form, with their own manager on the touchline.
“That’s when you believe that you have done everything and deserve to win the game clearly, then you are out of a cup and then four days later you have to come to Anfield against this manager, against this team, that they are in a really good moment and compete, perform and earn the right to win the game in the manner that we’ve done.”
A Mission 14 Years in the Making
Arteta was clear that this Arsenal Anfield win had been a long-running target. He suggested there were several reasons it had not happened before.
“Just loving the mission and the mission was something that we didn’t accomplish in 14 years and there were reasons to that – some of them were psychological probably, some of them were related to the quality that we showed on the pitch, certain moments or decisions.”
The Spaniard said his team knew they had to get every detail right. They also knew there would be spells of suffering, because Liverpool are dangerous in transition.
“We knew that we needed to nail absolutely all of them and we were going to have to navigate through periods that we were going to have to suffer because they are extremely good at doing that and creating those vertical attacks, those chaos moments for almost nothing. You really need to enjoy that. If you don’t, there will be a moment that you will switch off and they will punish you.”
He was pleased with how his players handled it. In his view, the way they competed and the chances they created were “really impressive”.
Why Arteta Felt the Time Was Right
The cup exit had left the Arsenal boss frustrated. His side had fired in 27 shots, while their opponents managed just one on target, and still they went out.
“It was a feeling, how the hell can that happen? How can you get out of the cup when you shoot 27 times? We had the chances that we had against a team that had put one shot on target and then you look so silly.”
That frustration became motivation. Arteta said he went into the Anfield game with a clear sense of what his players needed, and he told them the moment had come.
“Then you have to go to Anfield and say, how can I lift those players up? I had a feeling and I said, now is the moment. We’re going to have to dig deep, have an element of luck at times and for sure a lot of quality in the key moments and we’ve done it.”
Tzolis Shines Despite Fitness Concerns
Christos Tzolis was among the players Arteta singled out. The manager pointed to the energy the forward showed in training and said he checked how convinced Tzolis was before the game.
There was also a fitness issue with Ebs, and Arteta said it was remarkable that he made the squad. The manager praised the medical and performance staff for their work in keeping players ready for a game every three days.
“I want to give credit to all the medical and the performance team because what they’re doing with those boys is incredible, every three days to keep everybody at this level. That’s why these are the margins sometimes where you win a football match and not when you have somebody available or not.”
On Tzolis himself, Arteta said the player did not want to leave the pitch.
“They deserve that credit and with Christos it’s incredible. He didn’t want to come off; he wanted to complete the game. We took some risks and at that point we decided, now is enough.”
Success at Grounds Where Arsenal Struggled Last Season
Arsenal have now won at four grounds where they failed to win last season. Arteta kept perspective on that, stressing that the campaign is young.
“That we have to do exactly what we did last season in the other grounds and then we know the results, but it’s super early.”
He also paid tribute to the opposition. He praised the way Liverpool set up and credited Andoni for his work, which made the result more meaningful.
“I want to give credit to Liverpool as well in the manner that they played, the way they set up, to Andoni and what they are doing because they are a top side and it’s very difficult. That’s why I think winning here deserves even more credit.”
No Shots on Target for Liverpool
One of the most eye-catching numbers from the game was that Liverpool did not manage a single shot on target. Arteta said he did not know about the statistic until he was told.
“I didn’t know about that statistic but that’s incredible. It didn’t feel like this to be fair on the pitch because there were very little margins sometimes when they had the opportunity to shoot and it’s a team that shoots a lot.”
The manager explained what it took to keep Liverpool quiet. Blocking shots and closing down space were the key jobs, and every player had to do them in every action.
“You have to be so good at blocking shots and preventing those spaces for them to get into there. Again, it’s a commitment of every single player in every action consistently to deliver those kind of stats and to do it against this team, it’s something remarkable I would say.”
Penalty Question Left Open
Arteta was also asked whether Liverpool deserved a penalty. He did not offer a verdict, saying he had not seen the incident and would otherwise have to comment on many actions from the match.
“I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. I will have to comment on a lot of actions that happened in the game otherwise.”
What the Result Means for Arsenal
For Arsenal, the Arsenal Anfield win is more than three points. It ends a 14-year wait and shows resilience after a difficult few days. Arteta’s message to his squad was to recover quickly from disappointment, and they did exactly that.
The manager and his players now have the confidence of a result many thought was out of reach. With Arteta insisting it is still early, the focus will turn to repeating this level in the games ahead.