“I knew it was going to be a difficult match”

For coach Mikel Arteta and Arsenal FC, the narrow Europa League win over SK Rapid in Hütteldorf was hard work. After the final whistle, the Spanish concept coach spoke of the “expected difficult match.”

SK Rapid took the lead through Taxiarchis Fountas (50th), and goals from David Luiz (70th) and substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (74th) finally turned the game in favor of the North Londoners (click here for the detailed report).

“Rapid was well organized and very committed. It was the tough match we expected, especially because of the goal we conceded. That is of course my fault because I demand those things,” said Arteta, playing flat at any cost, which it eventually led to the catastrophic bad pass from goalkeeper Bernd Leno and the consequent first goal by Fountas.

“In the second half we understood a lot better how to attack the right spaces,” Arteta said. “We are happy to have won.”

The Asturian did not tackle a critical scenario immediately after the start of the second half: the already admonished English striker Eddie Nketiah hit Filip Stojkovic with his elbow in the face, the Montenegrin fell to the ground. Exclusion would have been the logical consequence.

“The officials told me they hadn’t seen it, so I have to believe them. Everyone in the stadium heard Stojkovic’s scream,” Kühbauer said. “One or another decision of the referee was incomprehensible. He did not whistle and did not help us.

Because the next hard Sunday awaits next Sunday with the WAC, Kühbauer did not want to continue “massacring” himself with him (to quote Kühbauer). Captain Dejan Ljubicic saw it similarly: “We have to score the game now and focus on the next game against WAC. We can progress in this group.”

Group B Europa League table

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