Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coach, said he was extremely satisfied with the victory won by his team away in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Sporting Lisbon (1-0), highlighting the difficulty of winning against a team which had not lost at home for a long time.
“I’m very happy with this away win in the Champions League quarter-final against a team who hadn’t lost at home in I don’t know how long,” Arteta told Amazon Prime after the match. “I think the last time they lost was also in European competition, which shows how difficult the task was. »
On the offensive difficulties encountered during the match, he explained: “Yes, I felt that because when we were getting into the final third and settling in there, we were missing the finishing touch. We should have been sharper, faster and more efficient to thwart their defensive block. We were denied a goal, and we had two or three occasions where we were very close, but we missed the decisive pass. In the end, a magical moment from the substitutes gave us the victory. »
Commenting on the decisive goal, Arteta commented: “A great move, and exactly the impact we need when we get to this stage of the season. Everyone has to leave their mark, and that’s what the players did tonight, without a doubt. »
Arteta concluded by praising his goalkeeper David Raya: “He saved two decisive balls twice. This is the Champions League; the competition is always played in the penalty area, because the level there is extremely high. »
Responding to Kai Havertz’s description of Raya as the best in the world, Arteta said: “At the moment he’s a phenomenon, and he’s been putting in some exceptional performances since he joined us. We are very lucky to have him among us. »
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