13 January 2023 , 22:30
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Mikel Arteta believes his Arsenal players learned invaluable “lessons” from their last trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It was also one of Arteta’s lowest points as Arsenal lost 3-0 to Tottenham. The defeat ultimately cost them a Champions League place and it left them feeling deeply scarred. Fast forward eight months, Arsenal have used the setback and disappointment of last season to help inspire them as they sit proudly on top of the Premier League.
Arsenal boss Arteta said of the defeat: “It was a very difficult day, especially the way the game developed and what actually happened in the game, but obviously you learn a lot from difficult moments. We certainly did.
“Whether it is actually directly linked to a change of behaviour or the team performing better, there are many factors to that. But hopefully we have learned some lessons from that day and we still have something for Sunday.
“I think the players and the staff and everybody at the club deserve a lot of credit for the way they have behaved in difficult moments. In good moments, everyone wants to be on board. In difficult moments, you see people looking at each other and blaming each other. That’s not been the case.
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“Credit as well for what they are doing right now. For the youngest team in the league to be doing what they are right now, you have to be doing something special and that’s credit to them.”
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Mikel Arteta endured one of his worst days as Arsenal manager at Tottenham (Getty Images)Arsenal never recovered from the Tottenham setback as they lost at Newcastle four days later and then finished fifth, allowing their north London neighbours to pip them into the Champions League.
Arteta was infuriated as decisions went against him. Arsenal felt hard done by as Rob Holding got sent off and they conceded a controversial penalty. He also says that getting over setbacks and not suffering a hangover has also been another important lesson for the players.
Arteta added: “Yeah, that’s what big teams do: the next one, it’s over. And you can draw or lose and it can be in very different circumstances – you haven’t played well, the opponent was better than you, you get wrong decisions, you didn’t finalise the action the way you should, someone makes an error – but the next game it has to be over.
Mikel Arteta will take Arsenal to Tottenham as Premier League leaders (Hayters)“And hopefully we have learnt and we will try to do that, but in this league, there are no guarantees because the next game is going to be competitive and the next one too. So you have to earn it.”
Arsenal have been hit with two Football Association charges in the space of a week over failing to control their players - both after failed penalty appeals against Newcastle and then Oxford. The Gunners were subsequently fined £40,000 for their behaviour against the Magpies.
But Arteta insisted he does care about the club’s reputation - even if criticism of his own behaviour is something which he will not allow to affect him. Arteta added: “I care a lot about the reputation of the club especially. Mine, I can’t control. I am who I am.
“I try to do my best to defend the players, to defend the club and that comes down with certain people who will not like it then, for sure, if everybody would like it, it wouldn’t be very good, I don’t think.”