Arsenal defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the Emirates Cup on Saturday evening and manager Mikel Arteta was very pleased, Softfootball reports.
Emirates fans witnessed a goal from New striker Viktor Gyokeres as bounced back from defeat against Villarreal .
Speaking to Arsenal official club media, Arteta touched on a number of issues.
He said:
“Yeah, well especially with the results because we did a lot of things very well on Wednesday but we did a few things that cost us goals in a really naive way and today we have eradicated that much better and I’m very happy with what I see, I think individually as well some big performances against a Champions League opponent, good feeling.”
Viktor Gyokeres’ finally got his first goal at Emirates Stadium and Arteta was happy for him:
“Yeah for sure I’m lucky that first goal is always very important, the way he took it as well, really well so again I think we have some big performances, we’re developing certain connections as well, with the new players very good, Kai coming in as well, the goal he scored I think was top as well so everybody, raising the level of everybody is going to really help us because at that level we’re going to need our very best from everybody.”
Arteta was satisfied with his side’s mental toughness:
“We have learned a lot of things in the last two games, we have to review this one as well with two very very good opposition, one when the game went against us in terms of the result it was very different from the beginning, it could have been very different on Wednesday as well about our efficiency in the final third, it wasn’t at the level of two days but yeah a lot of information to gather collectively, individually as well and I think overall we had a very very good preparation.”
Arteta was delighted with the midfield fluidity of Odegaard, Rice and Zubimendi:
“Yeah, especially with the qualities that they have and the way they can complement each other in that space, we saw another evolution today on that and things that the team can really benefit from to be much more unpredictable and be a much more threat, especially from these inside positions.”
Arteta touched on Saka’s role against Bilbao:
“Having threat from all the areas of the pitch into the last line, that’s a weapon that we need to continue to develop and it can be David, it can be from the last line, it can be from people playing on the bench and I think today we have from many situations a lot of feeling of, yeah at any moment we can attack the backs and be very dangerous and that will create a lot of space for many other players inside.”
He also spoke on Kai Havertz’s performance:
“Yeah, especially because they can play together, Kai can play in different positions as well and I think it elevates the quality in the squad, the goal threat that we have in the team, the options that we have to change and provide a opposition with a lot of problems and it’s great to see both of them scoring, both in such a good form and a good problem to have.”
Arsenal will travel to Old Trafford next Sunday to face Manchester United in their first premier league match of the season.
