Arteta: 'Arsenal is not prepared to play without people'

"Arsenal played the way we wanted, 11v 11," Arteta said after the win at Selhurst Park. "We dominated, created enough chances, missed two situations where normally we would have scored, but never gave up. Arsenal went ahead with a penalty and had to play half an hour with 10 men - which we did. unprepared".

Early in the second half, Nketiah entered the box and was fouled by goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, bringing home a penalty. On the 11m mark, captain Martin Odegaard shot to the left, against the direction of Johnstone's judgment, scoring the only goal of the game. Immediately after that, from the 60th and 67th minutes, Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu received two yellow cards and left the away team to kick a lack of people.

In the remaining minutes, Arteta in turn sent Gabriel Magalhaes, Jorginho, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior on to the field to strengthen the defense. Arsenal's defense firmly made Crystal Palace stalemate despite having the advantage of numbers in the last 20 minutes. The home side's best chance came in the 86th minute, with Odsonne Edouard's unmarked header wide of the post.

Arteta declined to comment on Tomiyasu's two consecutive yellow cards and praised the way the team adapted, fighting in a short position. The Spanish coach also appreciated the contribution of the substitutes on the pitch and was pleased when Arsenal only let the opponent create a dangerous situation. "The circumstances or the decisions of the referee doesn't matter, and we have to keep going. We wanted to win and have found a way to do it," he said.

Arteta was also surprised by Odegaard taking charge of the penalty kick and revealed that the players will decide who takes the shot on the field. "I was as surprised as everyone else, but Odegaard scored the important goal and Arsenal won. So I feel satisfied," he continued.

For the second time in a row, Gabriel was a substitute, after the opening match against Nottingham Forest 2-1 at the Emirates home. Previously, the Brazilian midfielder started 73 consecutive matches in the English Premier League, since he was not included in the starting line-up for the 0-5 loss to Man City in August 2021. Arteta explained this decision for tactical reasons, and then assessed that Gabriel played well, controlling the penalty area after coming on in the second half.

When asked if Arsenal were close to the level they wanted, Arteta replied: "No, because we have to score more goals, especially when we dominate the game. That's the hardest thing in football, so that's why. If you can't do that, the defense has to be extremely solid. Arsenal defend well, let the opponent create few chances in the first two games. Let's keep playing better and develop."

Arsenal, Brighton and defending champion Man City are the clubs that maintain a winning record through the opening two rounds of the Premier League. On August 26, Arteta's teachers and students returned to the Emirates to receive Fulham.