The Arsenal manager was elated to witness his squad secure three pivotal points against their London rivals, Chelsea.
Mikel Arteta confessed his “heart nearly ceased beating” before David Raya executed a remarkable injury-time save, cementing Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea and maintaining the Gunners’ resolute grip on the Premier League championship pursuit.
Arsenal seemed destined for a fairly untroubled afternoon, having established an advantage courtesy of William Saliba during the initial period.
That lead was subsequently re-established in striking fashion when Jurrien Timber netted with a header from a corner delivered by Declan Rice, subsequent to a Piero Hincapie own goal having momentarily equalized for Chelsea.
Nevertheless, the final moments proved anything but simple. Even though Chelsea played with ten players after Pedro Neto’s ejection in the 70th minute—marking the team’s seventh red card in the current league campaign—the away team nearly rescued a draw near the end.
Alejandro Garnacho’s forceful shot in injury time appeared certain to find the goal, yet Raya pulled off a superb diving stop of the highest quality to safeguard the entire trio of points.
Arteta was swift to highlight the significance of his shot-stopper’s involvement. “David is unquestionably one of our leaders,” he stated.
“He is a goalkeeper adept at sustaining concentration and influencing the outcome of a game when required. Sometimes he remains uninvolved for long periods, and then abruptly he must intervene. The stop he made in the ultimate moment – it was an incredible strike and my heart nearly ceased beating, but he repelled it once more.
“It was a magnificent stop, but we ought not to have found ourselves in such a predicament. I endeavor to remain composed, yet we failed to achieve the desired control facing a numerical advantage. The pressure is immense and the differences are so narrow, but it’s good. By March, we are contending in all tournaments and positioned among the top contenders.”
This triumph extends Arsenal’s robust reaction to their previous disappointment versus Wolves, when they forfeited a two-goal advantage to finish with a two-all draw – an outcome which provided City renewed impetus in the championship pursuit.
Subsequently, Arteta’s squad has secured consecutive victories in London derbies against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC.
Arteta is convinced that this response underscores the team’s development over the past few years. “The way we have reacted to that unsatisfactory scoreline has been exemplary,” he remarked. “I thought we were decent, honorable individuals with a desire for victory, but their current standard of play is markedly superior.
“The sense that perpetual victory is necessary; you triumph in numerous matches, yet it proves insufficient to create a lead. This is the allure and the competitive degree of this division.”
Arsenal’s attention now turns to an away fixture at Brighton on Wednesday. However, a worry exists regarding Declan Rice, as the midfielder requested to be substituted against Chelsea. “Declan asked to be taken off, so he requires examination before Wednesday,” Arteta confirmed. “He was experiencing a degree of unease.”