Mikel Arteta praises 'phenomenal' Arsenal after comeback

Posted Sunday, October 22, 2023 by Caughtoffside.com

Mikel Arteta sang the praises of his side after their comeback against Chelsea on Saturday.

The Gunners were completely outmatched at Stamford Bridge and looked destined to lose their first game of the season.

Cole Palmer opened the scoring for the Blues with a controversial penalty before Mykhailo Mudryk mishit his cross which lobbed David Raya into the goal.

Arsenal then launched a comeback late on after Declan Rice punished a Robert Sanchez mistake with Leandro Trossard levelling it up minutes later.

Speaking after the game, Arteta praised his side for their character and mental fortitude.

"We didn't play with enough purpose and clarity in the first half but the way we reacted was phenomenal," said Arteta via Yahoo Sports.

"I have no doubt about our character. I could see at half-time that we knew we had to do much better. I love that about the team. This is who we are."

He added: "Even though we conceded in a situation like the goal of Mudryk, we kept going and they did exactly what we asked of them, that you never give up and we continued to go and go.

"We should have scored a goal earlier, we didn't, but the team was always there to fight until the end. In the end, we got a point after a really difficult result and the way it started."