Arsenal's head coach Mikel Arteta reflected on his side's 2-0 win over Everton in the eighth round of the Premier League.
The Spaniard labelled the result as crucial for the Gunners after a grueling week filled with back-to-back matches.
"This is a significant victory for us. It’s been a tough week due to the schedule; the players have had to clock up a lot of minutes on the pitch, and the matches came thick and fast. We knew we were up against a very strong opponent, but overall, we played well and thoroughly deserved the win," Arteta stated during an interview with BBC Match of the Day.
Arteta pleased with goals from set-pieces
Arsenal capitalised once again on a set-piece, prompting the head coach to smile at suggestions that his team had struggled to find the net in such situations previously.
"I hope this pleases people now! Previously, it was said that we don't score from set pieces, but now we are. I’m always happy when the team finds different ways to unlock the opponent's defence and create problems for them," he noted.
Has Gabriel avoided serious consequences?
Arteta also addressed the concerning incident involving defender Gabriel, which caused alarm among his teammates.
"From the reaction of his teammates, we all thought he would have to leave the pitch. It was a genuinely worrying moment. We know Gabi, we know how strong and resilient he is, and it seems he is okay," the manager reported.
Arteta praised the performance following squad rotation
The Gunners' manager was pleased with how his side performed, even with changes to the starting eleven. He highlighted that the Londoners controlled much of the match.
"I am very happy. For the majority of the match, we were better than the opponent and dominated. But Everton had their moments, as they always do. The ability to rotate five players and maintain that level of performance is impressive," concluded Arteta.
