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‘That’s the reality’: Mikel Arteta says Arsenal fans did something he’s ‘never seen’ before during Liverpool game last night
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta raved about the atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium last night despite his side’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
The Gunners were in tremendous form going into the game yesterday. They had won five on the bounce and the confidence was higher than it has ever been over the last few years.
That confidence was evident in the first half. Arsenal were arguably the better side before the break and they could’ve easily scored through Martin Odegaard in the early stages of the second half as well.
However, Liverpool’s class showed in the end and they came out of the game as comfortable winners.
Arsenal v Liverpool: Mikel Arteta raves about atmosphere at the Emirates last night
The Arsenal boss was a proud man despite the defeat last night, but the atmosphere and the togetherness in the stadium was what impressed him the most.
He told after the game: “It (the defeat) leaves a bad taste because I want to win every football game.
“But, I’m very proud of the boys and the performance and the connection you see again with the fans, they stayed behind the team all the way through the game.
“I’ve never seen an atmosphere like this (at the Emirates). That’s the reality.”
TBR View:
Arsenal have definitely come a long way on the pitch. The way they competed against Liverpool and Manchester City this year, even though they lost both games, really does show that the Gunners are on the right track.
Mikel Arteta deserves an incredible amount of credit for that, but he deserves even more praise for establishing a strong connection with the fans.
The atmosphere around the Emirates has mostly been toxic over the last decade. That really has changed over the past few months and it’s one of the reasons why Arsenal aren’t an easy side to beat at home, even for the bigger sides.
Arteta will take his side to Aston Villa on Saturday and that will be a difficult game as well, especially as the Gunners only have two-and-half-days to recover.
