Mikel Arteta Arsenal
The Gunners once again faced disappointment in Tyneside, suffering a 1-0 defeat. Unlike the previous season, this time there was no controversial goal to pin the loss on. The decisive moment came with Alexander Isak’s 12th-minute header, which marked his third goal in as many games, coming off a cross from Anthony Gordon. This victory for the Magpies was as much a testament to their defensive organization and resilience as it was to Isak’s goal-scoring prowess. Goalkeeper Nick Pope was relatively untested, largely due to the excellent defensive work by full-backs Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, who managed to hold off continuous attacks from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
When discussing Alexander Isak’s impact, head coach Eddie Howe praised his performance.
Eddie Howe said, “He is a class act. He’s an outstanding player, and I’m really pleased to see him score the type of goal he did today because it’s not a trademark Alex goal, but it’s such an important avenue of goals for us. It was a great cross from Anthony, he’s in the right position and I thought it was an incredible header from the distance he was out.”
For Arsenal, last season’s visit to the North East left Mikel Arteta fuming, but this time he left disappointed yet philosophical regarding his team’s title aspirations. With a critical Champions League fixture against Inter Milan ahead, Arteta reflected on the standing of his team.
Mikel Arteta said, “We just try to do what we do to try to win games on a consistent basis. We know that it’s been inconsistent this season. We’ve had good bits, some not so good bits. Generally, the last few games, our performance level has definitely increased and we’ve been consistent with it. I understand that, but after eight, nine or 10 games last year we didn’t [talk about it] and we won’t talk about it now. It’s about how you react to that. We’re not going to find the right words or answers to describe how we feel. We have to put it on that field on Wednesday night against Inter. It’s not about the hope of winning the title, it’s about being our best selves every single week. Today we weren’t our best version.”
