“Players are not even looking, they’re just playing the ball, expecting someone to be there” – Premier League star compares current Arsenal team to Invincibles
West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has heaped praise on the Arsenal side and likened them to the famed 'Invincibles'. Antonio appeared on the BBC's 'Match of the Day 2' on Sunday following the Hammers' 1-0 loss to Manchester United.
In the first match on Sunday, Mikel Arteta's men beat Nottingham Forest 5-0. Reiss Nelson bagged a brace while Gabriel Martinelli, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka also found the back of the net for Mikel Arteta's side.
With the win, the Gunners returned to the top of the Premier League table. They currently hold a two-point lead over Manchester City at second place.
Michail Antonio says this Arsenal side reminds him of the Invincibles
⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️
@Arsenal have won a #PL home match by 5+ goals for the 19th time. Each of the previous 18 times came under Arsene Wenger
#ARSNFO https://t.co/laApC2sVZv
The 'Invincibles' went undefeated in the 2003-04 season. It's a feat that has never again been repeated in the Premier League. The Gunners were thoroughly dominant that season.
Arsene Wenger managed to pull it off during a time when Manchester United were ruling the roost and Chelsea were establishing themselves as a footballing powerhouse. As such, it is an achievement that deserves plenty of praise.
Arteta's side have suffered a loss already this term but Antonio believes that they are definitely capable of matching those standards. Antonio said (via (Daily Mail):
“You see them, you look at their structure, how they’re playing, everyone knows where everyone is. You can see with a couple of the passes, that players are not even looking, they’re just playing the ball, expecting someone to be there.
“This Arsenal team reminds me of old Arsenal, the unbeatables. This is what you’re seeing now, how they’re playing, and the free football. That’s one thing I’ve got to say “well done” to Arsenal for, and the owners; they stuck with Arteta, and now they’re reaping the rewards.”
"They look like the old Arsenal." ❤️
@MichailAntonio says the Gunners are reaping the rewards of sticking with Mikel Arteta...
#BBCMOTD2 https://t.co/hXFDe05vSO
Arsenal's only loss of the 2022-23 Premier League season came against Manchester United. The Gunners fell to a 3-1 loss to Erik ten Hag's side on 4 September at Old Trafford.
However, they conceded a loss 2-0 to PSV Eindhoven in a UEFA Europa League group stage encounter in midweek. As such, the thumping win over Nottingham Forest came as a timely and emphatic response.
In his post-match interview, Arteta spoke about how fortunate he is to have been blessed with this squad. He said:
"How lucky I am to have them together with me and again especially when we lose, or draw, how united we are, and how we respond to that, and today I think it was a really good example.
"We know the schedule we facing now, we’re going to be facing in January, it’s really, really demanding so we need to face it and we want to do it in the best possible way."