The Gunners boss praised Everton for their performance at the Emirates
Mikel Arteta with David Moyes before the Premier League match between Arsenal and Everton. Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Mikel Arteta hailed Everton as “a really good side” after watching them push his title favourites to the wire.
Arsenal required late goals from substitutes Viktor Gyokeres and Max Dowman to overcome his former club in an entertaining battle at the Emirates on Saturday evening.
Few could have complained had it instead been Everton that snatched a narrow victory, such were the heights reached by the visitors – particularly in the first half.
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After riding through a tough opening, Everton settled in north London and came closest to breaking the deadlock. First, Ricardo Calafiori produced what David Moyes called an “amazing” block to deny Dwight McNeil inside the area and then it was the woodwork that separated the midfielder from an opener. David Raya also made good saves from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Beto.
Everton looked set for at least a point when the ball fell kindly for Gyokeres in the 90th minute and, when asked for his thoughts on Moyes’ side by the ECHO, Arteta acknowledged the quality of the Blues’ display. He said: “It was very hard, they’re a really good side.
“They’re really well coached and every time they went in and around the box, you sense how dangerous they are and they’re very difficult to break down.”
Arteta’s concern Everton would hold Arsenal, providing an opportunity for Manchester City to make ground in the title race, was clear in his celebrations of both goals and the final whistle. Instead, the win – coupled with Man City drawing against West Ham United in the late game on Saturday – means Arsenal now have control over the battle for the league.
Asked what he was thinking before Gyokeres’ late strike, he said: “What I was thinking? I don’t know, I was pushing with every inch of my body to go to that goal, and somehow we scored a goal. We cannot demand those players to give everything and us not to be there. I see them and how much they want it and now we’re all striving to try to help them.”