Mikel Arteta praises Arsenal's 'will to win' after overcoming Manchester United in hard-fought battle

Arsenal's victory over Manchester United on Wednesday, driven by set pieces, demonstrated the team's versatility in scoring and their determination to succeed following a challenging period, according to manager Mikel Arteta.

Jurrien Timber and William Saliba both found the net from corner kicks in a 2-0 triumph, marking Arsenal's fourth consecutive win across all competitions, following a draw and two defeats prior to the international break.

Despite the absence of first-choice center back Gabriel due to injury, Arsenal maintained a consistent threat from corner situations and could have increased their tally beyond the two goals achieved from a series of perilous set pieces.

Arteta, who smiled when queried about the team's effectiveness from dead-ball situations, emphasized that this aspect of Arsenal's play contributes to their overall completeness as a team.

"We aim to be dangerous and effective from every angle and phase of play, and we diligently work on all of that," he stated to the media.

"Today, we could have scored from open play as we did against West Ham and Sporting, which shows the team's belief that we can pose a threat from any position and strive to score."

Arsenal's win coincided with leaders Liverpool dropping points in a draw against Newcastle United, allowing Arsenal to reduce the gap to seven points from the top.

Arteta maintained that he did not let the changing scoreline in Liverpool's match influence his strategy for Arsenal's game, but he noted that his team's response to earlier setbacks this season reflected a positive mindset.

"The desire to win is present," he remarked. "We put forth our best effort to achieve that. It is true that we faced numerous challenges during that time, including the schedule and our position. Many factors come into play, and one must respond accordingly.

"It is about focusing on the next challenge. Now that we have won four in a row, it is crucial that we go to Fulham and perform better than them."

SportsLigue