Sleepless Arteta praises depleted Arsenal for 'ugly' win

Arsenal head Mikel Arteta says he "didn't slumber much" aft losing cardinal players to wounded earlier Sunday's northbound London derby against Tottenham, but praised his broadside for winning "ugly".

The Gunners were already without nan suspended Declan Rice for nan game, but besides saw skipper Martin Odegaard and defender Riccardo Calafiori prime up injuries playing for their respective countries during nan world break.

It meant they faced their rivals depleted but dug successful astatine nan Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier Gabriel's second-half header sealed a 1-0 victory to guarantee they enactment wrong rubbing region of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

"We had to accommodate a small spot because of immoderate of nan players we lost," Arteta said.

"I prepared for Tottenham for 5 days, past successful 1 infinitesimal I mislaid 1 subordinate and successful different I mislaid another. I didn't slumber much!

"There were nary excuses, nary crying. The players person heavy skin. They emotion nan game. Sometimes to triumph you person to do nan disfigured things and they emotion to do that.

"I loved it, because time aft time nan players are hungrier and hungrier."

The decisive extremity came from a area arsenic Arsenal continued their awesome grounds from set-pieces.

Since nan commencement of past season, Arsenal person scored much goals (24) from dead-ball situations than immoderate different squad successful nan Premier League.

Key to that has been nan effect of set-piece master coach Nicolas Jover, who joined Arsenal from Manchester City successful 2021.

"I made nan determination to bring him to City erstwhile I was location and to Arsenal," Arteta added.

"Together pinch nan remainder of nan staff, they person injected nan belief that location are galore ways to triumph games and this is 1 of them, truthful large in installments to them."

Victory was nan cleanable commencement for Arsenal successful a difficult tally of fixtures.

They play Atalanta successful their Champions League opener connected Thursday earlier travelling to defending champions Manchester City adjacent Sunday.

Arsenal are 2nd successful nan Premier League, 2 points down Pep Guardiola's side.

"It is simply a reliable week coming up," Arteta added.

"The players judge already. We person a won a batch of large games, but this will springiness america a batch of power and belief."