Witnessing his team once again secure a late-game victory in a match that seemed on the brink of slipping away, Mikel Arteta believes that triumphs like his side’s 4-3 win over Luton Town serve to strengthen the unity of the squad in preparation for upcoming challenges.
Despite holding a 2-1 lead at halftime, Arsenal found themselves trailing 3-2 towards the end of the game. However, the Gunners quickly equalized, and in the 96th minute, Declan Rice scored the winning goal, igniting scenes of jubilation similar to victories against Manchester United, Manchester City, and Brentford earlier in the season.
According to Arteta, these victories hold a special significance as they contribute to the formation of an unbreakable bond among his squad. This shared experience reinforces the team’s commitment to never giving up when faced with adversity.
Arteta delighted at last-gasp win against Luton
“I think it gives a special chemistry between them to live moments like that in football,” Mikel reflected post-match at Kenilworth Road. “That’s the beauty of it, it’s not about you, it’s about doing it with a team and the energy you feel in that dressing room is something unique.”
“The way we want to play, we are never satisfied with a draw – we want to win games. The risks that we take, the initiative that we take, how we suffocate the opponent, how we want to play forward and the team got rewarded. We had many other chances to score before that but we left it until the end.”
“It was a beautiful match of football. Congratulations to Luton, the atmosphere they created was electric, it was special. The way they played, they made life really difficult for us, they are really well coached, they have a big spirit in the team. We had to dig really deep – especially the way we conceded the goals – to have a chance to win the game in the way that we’ve done it.”
This success was Arsenal seventh-straight victory in all competitions and moves the north London side temporarily five points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Mikel is pleased with that run of form, despite the fixtures piling up and having to rotate his team to balance the workload as well as injuries.
“Today was really difficult context after having a game three days before, another one three days before and another one three days before that,” he added.
“This is obviously an accumulative thing. We lost players as well, but the team showed the same willingness and character to win.”
