Mikel Arteta confessed to feeling “worried” after Arsenal narrowly avoided squandering a hard-fought victory over Leicester City on Saturday. The Gunners secured a thrilling 4-2 win against the Premier League strugglers, but the match was far closer than the scoreline suggested.
Arsenal appeared to be cruising to an easy victory after first-half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, capping off a dominant display. However, despite numerous opportunities to extend their lead, the Gunners found themselves pegged back in the second half. A brace from Leicester defender James Justin brought the visitors level, leaving Arsenal fans on edge.
The game was decided in stoppage time when Wilfred Ndidi accidentally scored an own goal, followed by a Kai Havertz strike to secure all three points for Arteta’s side. The victory moves Arsenal level on 14 points with Manchester City, who had earlier dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, at the top of the Premier League.
After the game, Arteta expressed concern over how his team let their commanding lead slip but praised their ability to wrest back control. Speaking after the final whistle, the Arsenal manager said, “I am happier with how we dealt with it—emotionally in control. It was worrying. In theory, we should have never got to this point—but this is football. This is the beauty of football, in relation to other sports.”
Reflecting on the chaotic second half, Arteta acknowledged that the game became more emotional than expected. “After 2-0, the result should have been bigger. This is the Premier League. They scored two goals. But I’m really pleased with the way we responded,” he added.
Arsenal created numerous opportunities throughout the match, registering 36 shots with 16 on target, but Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen put in a stellar performance to keep the scoreline close. Arteta admitted that the missed chances could prove costly in the title race. “It was emotionally difficult to accept given the amount of goals we should have scored,” he said.
Despite the tense moments, Mikel Arteta was complimentary of his team’s overall performance. Speaking to Match of the Day, he stated, “I’m very happy, first of all, with the performance. I think we were unbelievable today. We deserved to win with many more goals. The team showed unbelievable character to keep pushing, creating chance after chance.”
Looking ahead, Arsenal face a tough Champions League test midweek against French champions Paris Saint-Germain, before returning to Premier League action on Saturday against struggling Southampton.