LONDON, Sept 15 (Askume) – Arsenal’s growing ability to win without playing at their best, as they did in a tough derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, could prove to be the case as they try to beat eventual Premier League champions Manchester City.
Manager Mikel Arteta said his side were rewarded for doing “bad things” to win after conceding another goal to their local rivals.
Gabriel Magalhaes’ second-half header sealed a 1–0 win over Tottenham , their third consecutive victory in the north London derby.
The visitors almost threw away a 3-0 lead before winning 3-2 in their last meeting in April and Arteta said he had seen signs of improvement from the Gunners in the final stages.
The Arsenal boss said he was very calm on Sunday “because after a 0-3 draw and a 2-3 draw (in the last game), you say, this can’t happen”.
“They gave everything, they tried today, but I thought we looked more balanced, better organised and we missed a lot less chances,” he told reporters.
With captain Martin Odegaard missing through injury, Declan Rice missing through suspension and newcomer Mikel Merino yet to make his debut because of a shoulder fracture, Arsenal’s makeshift midfield struggled to find the back of the net against a basically useless Tottenham team.
Arteta praised the squad’s depth and ability to produce results, qualities that have at times been lacking in recent title challenges.
He said, “In order to love the game and win, you have to do a lot of things that are sometimes called ugly, and having fun doing those ugly things is a great compliment to this team.”
There’s always a winning feel to the north London derby but victory was almost as crucial for Arsenal, who were five points behind Manchester City before kick-off.
City have averaged 91 points over the past three seasons, so Arsenal’s visit to the Etihad Stadium next Sunday could boost their chances of winning the title.
Conversely, as long as they get three points, Arsenal can go all the way north and have a chance of finishing top of the league.
