"I’m really happy with the attitude and behaviour of every single player" - Mikel Arteta speaks out after Arsenal's 1-1 draw against PSV
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta expressed his happiness about each of his players' attitute and behavior during their 1-1 draw against PSV Eindhoven.
Speaking to the club's reported after the game (via Arsenal.com), the Spaniard spoke in detail about how the game panned out. He gave PSV credit for their performance, while also pinpointing what the Gunners lacked.
"Yeah top match, we made eight changes. There were good moments, there were moments we lacked that cohesion and timings especially in the way we pressed against a really good side.
"When you don’t get the timings right you have to defend awkward spaces and we had to do that a few times tonight which could have cost us the game."
However, Mikel Arteta circled back and lavished praise on his team and lauded them for fighting until the final whistle. He also pointed out how they could even have won had luck been on their side late in the game.
"But the reality is we had some really very moments as well, I’m really happy with the attitude and behaviour of every single player, how they tried and in the end we could’ve won it with the chance of Leo and the goal that was disallowed."
The 1-1 draw against PSV means Arsenal qualify for the Champions League knockouts as winners of Group B with 13 points. Their opponents on the night qualify as runners-up with nine points from their six games.
Both teams will find out about their opponents in the round of 16 in the UCL draw that will take place in Nyon, Switzerland on December 18.
Mikel Arteta responds to pleas for Arsenal youngsters to be given chances
With top spot secured at the end of gameweek five, Arsenal could not be caught up with in the final gameweek irrespective of the results.
Due to this situation, Mikel Arteta was expected to rest his senior players and give a couple of Hale End products some precious minutes. However, he revealed in his post-match interview that he believed the timing was not right.
"I don’t think it was the right context, making eight changes already to throw them in there against a team that hasn’t lost here (at home) almost in two years."
Mikel Arteta also revealed he believed the moment would probably overwhelm younger players.
"I didn’t think it was the right moment and I went on to wait to see how the game developed, but it was too much for them."
Defender Reuell Walters and midfielder Ethan Nwaneri made it to the squad but were on the bench, while highly-rated Miles Lewis-Skelly did not even travel with the Arsenal squad.