Arteta says Arsenal stars 'were free, courageous, and brave' against Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and his Gunners took all the praises from the home fans after beating 10-man Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta was full of joy and pleased Arsenal maintained their position at the Premier League table as they produced an exceptional display to overpower Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby on Saturday.
The Gunners were in fine form earlier today at the Emirates Stadium as goals from Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka ensured they sealed a 3-1 win over Antonio Conte’s Spurs.
Harry Kane hit the target from the penalty spot eleven minutes after Partey opened the scoring, but the awayside weren’t able to get going as they went down to 10 men when Emerson Royal was handed his marching orders for a second-half foul on Gabriel Martinelli.
After the match, Arteta hailed the Gunners, admitting 'Jesus has taken us to a different level.'
Arteta: 'We were free, courageous, and brave.'
Speaking to BT Sport, the 40-year-old Arteta said: "They were phenomenal. We went from it and we created great energy in the stadium and deserved to win the game.
Asked what he thought of Thomas Partey's goal, he replied: "We have been waiting for that one. For what he has been through I am so happy for him.
On Arsenal's form, the Spaniard asserted: "With our way of playing we can attack in different ways. They [Tottenham] don’t need much and you have the feeling that they can create. You have to live with that.
"But we didn't have that in the back of our mind, we were free, courageous, and brave and this is what we demand from the players. It gives us a lot of encouragement and confidence to believe that we can play at this level."
And finally, he gave his thoughts on the in-form Gabriel Jesus: "It’s his winning mentality, the way he trains every day it brings confidence to the team and he has taken us to a different level."
"We have connected with our supporters."
While speaking to BBC Sport, he expressed his joy at how the Arsenal squad have connected with the fans which he reckons it’s a really powerful thing.
"The players grabbed the game and deserved to win the it. It was the whole team - starting from the back to front. They really connected today,” he said.
"I hope this will give them more belief that they can win at this level in the way we want them to play.
"We have connected with our supporters and when that happens it is a really powerful thing.
"We have a really meaningful opportunity to give a lot of people happiness on a beautiful day and we have delivered that and it is a really great feeling.
"We are focussing on what we are doing. This is a sign that we are going in the right direction. We need to maintain that now and go for it.
"You feel the desire and humility - they haven't won anything yet and that is important to have that humility, which is a big driver for us."
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