[ad_1]
The Gunners manager had plenty of warm words for an impressive game that saw multiple members on his rotated side press for more regular minutes.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had nothing but praise for his second attackers after his strong performance against Dundalk in the Europa League, admitting that his “easy” performance has given him headaches at the national team.
The Gunners were left with a 3-0 win at Emirates Stadium against the League champions of Ireland thanks to a five-minute burst of goals on either side of halftime led by Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock and Nicolas Pepe.
Having named a nominal first-choice team for their first European match against Rapid Wien last week, match congestion ahead of a Premier League clash with Manchester United forced Arteta to rotate several players for the visiting team. Filippo Giovagnoli’s minnows, with half a dozen changes between the two starting lineups seven days apart.
Despite that, the hosts took advantage of their opportunities when they arrived, with Icelandic goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson keeping a clean sheet on their debut and England youth star Willock helping them take 25 shots on his opponent’s goal at all times.
Speaking later, Arteta defended her team’s performance against an opponent who steadfastly refused to be intimidated by the occasion, and praised her team’s respect for their visitors as key to making their fluid performance seem like child’s play on the occasion. .
However, the 38-year-old admitted that several flashy twists meant he would face difficulties picking his teams in the near future, as several stars pushed to claim more regular football, while also pointing to the returning Willian for his efforts to his return from injury.
“We made it look easy because we were very disciplined, we took it seriously and we did it from the beginning,” said the Spaniard. BT sport.
“We made a lot of changes, we gave other players opportunities and I think they did well.
“We have a large squad and I wanted to give everyone opportunities. Today they showed that they were prepared when I need them and today they made the selection more difficult for me.
“Sometimes it’s about the quality, sometimes it’s about the tactical plan of the game. I’m very satisfied with today’s performance.
“We missed Willian the last two weeks, he had a very short preseason. He needs that little bit of rhythm. He looked good today, great to get a few minutes on his legs.”
“After losing the way we lost against Leicester it was painful. It took me a few days to react but it was good to respond immediately with a win and now we are going to Old Trafford and trying to win again.”
