Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's head coach, spoke out after leading his team to an away victory over West Ham United in the latest English Premier League match.
Mikel Arteta, manager of the "Gunners" Arsenal, praised the performances of goalkeeper David Raya and Martin Ødegaard especially after their 1-0 away win over West Ham United, maintaining their position as Premier League leaders and extending their lead over Manchester City to 5 points. He also confirmed that the decision to disallow West Ham's goal during stoppage time was correct.
Arteta said, "I think we started the game very well. We created three significant chances but couldn’t score. Then Ben White got injured, forcing us to change our plan, which didn’t work initially. At halftime, we had to substitute Calafiori again, but I believe we showed great courage with our substitutions and the players we brought on. I think we were rewarded because Martin Ødegaard performed incredibly, helping us win this game, along with David Raya’s save in the 70th minute."
"Ultimately, this is the beauty of the Premier League amid all the chaos. Even while the goalkeeper is inside the penalty area, they still scored. The referee and VAR today showed great courage to stop and review the incident, giving the referee the opportunity to make the right decision."
"I don’t think anyone can argue it was a clear foul because Raya almost had full control of the ball in his hands, but they didn’t allow him to do so and took advantage to score."
Regarding the disallowed West Ham goal: "My instinct told me it must have been a foul, but I understand the situation. Today, I realized how difficult it is for the referee in that scenario. It's a huge responsibility and a very important decision."
About Raya’s save: "If you want a chance to win major trophies, you need moments like this. Each player must create those magical moments, and Raya made a moment that helped us win this game, just like Martin Ødegaard."