UEL 2022-23: 'Arsenal lacked connection, consistency and domination' - Mikel Arteta despite win over Bodø/Glim
Arsenal came up with a commanding 3-0 win over Bodø/Glimt in UEFA Europa League on Thursday. However, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was notable for lack of connection, consistency and domination.
FollowIt was a productive day out for English giants Arsenal, as it secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Bodø/Glimt at the Emirates Stadium in Arsenal on Thursday during their 2022-23 UEFA Europa League (UEL) group stage tie. The goal scorers happened to be Edward Nketiah (23), Rob Holding (27) and Fabio Vieira (84), as it goes atop its group table, having won both its matches so far. However, despite the success, Gunners head coach Mikel Arteta was not entirely pleased with his side's performance and lamented the lack of connection, consistency and domination.
As Arteta interacted with BT Sports after the triumph, he pondered, "I'm thrilled with the win, six points and a clean sheet. But, we lacked a connection between the players. We lacked consistency and domination throughout the game. There were eight changes and many players that hadn't played a lot of minutes, and you could feel that the timing was missing."
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"In the final third, we looked very dangerous. The goals we scored were good. You could see a few players had a different intensity, not enough exposure in minutes, so we had to make changes," added Arteta. He was also impressed by the performance of Fabio Vieira, who assisted Holding in the second goal.
"Yes, you saw the quality every time he's around the box. He's a real threat, a knowledgeable player, and brave, and in defending, he still needs to do more and understand more. The organisation is key when you play against good teams with possession," Arteta opined. He also lauded Gabriel Jesus's work rate and mentality.
"I love his mentality. It doesn't matter how long he plays, where, or what position he plays. He always gives absolutely everything. You see his presence when he goes on the pitch, he makes the team different, his energy as well, and today he made an outstanding action to create the third goal," concluded Arteta.
