Mikel Arteta has firmly responded to Erling Haaland’s “stay humble” comment aimed at him after Arsenal’s draw with Manchester City.
The match concluded dramatically, with City equalizing in the 98th minute through John Stones, resulting in a 2-2 scoreline. Arsenal had been holding on with ten men following Leandro Trossard’s red card just before half-time.
After the game, tensions were evident, with players and coaches exchanging words. Arteta encountered Haaland on the field and addressed the incident with reporters, stating, “It’s part of football, part of sport. After the game, all that goes away and we move on. That’s it.”
Despite the intense emotions during the match, Arteta defended his team’s tactics. He reflected on the challenges faced during the game, explaining, “Well, we had to play the game that we had to play. The first 10, 15 minutes, we couldn’t with 11 vs 11. Then we got much better.” He acknowledged the difficult situation and emphasized learning from past experiences, citing a previous heavy loss after a similar red card situation.
Arteta consistently supports his players, regardless of outside opinions. He expressed pride in the team’s resilience, saying, “Extremely proud. I think the desire that the team has to compete in any context… is superb.” He noted that while he wasn’t entirely satisfied with the outcome, he appreciated the significant improvement given the circumstances.
Looking ahead, Arsenal will face Bolton in the Carabao Cup, aiming to get back to winning ways before their next Premier League match against Leicester.
