Arteta on Eze's first Arsenal goal as they stretch lead at top

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Arteta on Eze's first Arsenal goal as they stretch lead at top  26/10/2025  Emirates Stadium, London, UK

Transcript

00:00Hello.

00:02These are the sort of games that are so important in the grand scheme of things.

00:07When you battle, you keep a clean sheet and you really get it done.

00:10How important is this as a victory in that context?

00:14I fully agree with you.

00:15I just thought to the boys that I probably value more this victory than any other victory this season.

00:20Because we knew the difficulty of it.

00:21You come after playing every three days.

00:23You have a big opportunity as well with the things that happened during this weekend.

00:28And I knew, you know, we played against a team that, in my opinion, has been one of the best.

00:33Recently, in terms of organisation, how difficult they made it.

00:36How frustrated they can make you.

00:38And the moment that you lose that concentration, they will punish you for sure.

00:43And we have managed to be very stable, playing the game that we have to play.

00:47In the first half, a bit stuck.

00:49We find a way to score the goal.

00:51In the second one, we attacked better and we were more fluent.

00:53But with 1-0, we knew that we had to suffer.

00:56Because it's a team that has to score goals to any other opponent this season.

00:59So, to keep the clean sheet at the end is very, very important.

01:03James, CBS?

01:04You said on Friday you wanted the crowd to play the game with you.

01:07I don't know if you saw the moment in the 95th moment where the ball flew back in from the crowd.

01:11You must be appreciating that.

01:13There were a few moments when I was describing that.

01:17Ricky goes on the floor and puts a tackle.

01:20Jurgen the same.

01:21The way Victor was chasing every second ball.

01:24Some individual actions on the ball as well.

01:26I think we are getting better again.

01:28The crowd is playing now the game with us and it makes such a difference.

01:32Thanks to them.

01:34You mentioned the first half of the team.

01:37Would you say that's down to Palace being good?

01:40Big credit to them.

01:41Because you try to do something, they can adjust it.

01:44The way they are set up, they don't jump to things, they don't get attracted to things.

01:48The two outside players in the back line, they are really aggressive.

01:51So, it's really difficult to find those spaces.

01:54And then, you know, the moment they regain the ball, they have a focal point on Mateta.

01:57Two runners, and you have to be very disciplined because the moment that you lose that on top of the two win-backs running,

02:04you can get very, very exposed.

02:06So, yeah, I'd say to the boys, it's going to be a long match.

02:09We have to be really stable emotionally, very direct when we have the opportunities to attack them.

02:14And we're going to have to take our chances because it's not going to be that many.

02:18And just injury-wise, how was Declan?

02:20Well, the first one was Willy that obviously had to be out after the first half.

02:25Declan was struggling from the first half with a knock that he took.

02:28And who was the other one?

02:31Ricky, as well.

02:32So, yeah, let's see how they recover.

02:34Top problem?

02:35There's a number of times in the last two seasons where your title rivals would have dropped points

02:40and in those weekends you weren't able to capture like this.

02:42Obviously, this weekend has been perfect for Arsenal with Liverpool and City dropping points.

02:46Were the team aware at half-time of the City result?

02:48Was that a motivation anyway?

02:50No, I wasn't aware.

02:51I just found out at the end of the game, I think most of the players as well.

02:54They're not allowed their phones at half-time, so hopefully they didn't know about it,

02:58maybe through the staff.

03:00But yeah, I think a really positive weekend for them, especially because we did what we had to do.

03:06And then it shows you the difficulty of the league and how complicated it is to win games.

03:12Yeah, 100 per cent. I think to strike the ball in the manner they did it.

03:22He did it very similarly last year, but against us when he scored from that corner directly in the post.

03:29So he's got the ability to do that.

03:31We know, against a team that defends with that many bodies, so physical,

03:35they don't allow any space.

03:37They're not defending your base player.

03:39You have to generate chaos or open space at some moments to generate big chances.

03:43And he took the ball and the goal really well.

03:45Another one was Martin Eddy at the end when he was limping and he went down the tunnel with the physio.

03:50Is he OK?

03:51Yeah, I think so.

03:52We have to check that one, but he was a bit uncomfortable.

03:55He said he felt something.

03:56We don't know whether it's a muscular issue or not.

03:59So, yeah, tomorrow we'll have more news.

04:02And was Saka just tactical change?

04:04Yeah, he's been ill.

04:06He hasn't trained, really.

04:08So, we didn't know whether he was going to be fit.

04:10So, he made a big effort to be available today.

04:14The doctor was brilliant as well to guide us, to give the best opportunity as well,

04:19to be in the best possible condition.

04:21So, he's managed to play a few minutes.

04:23But the longer the game went, he was going to fatigue and risk an injury

04:27and we didn't want to take that risk.

04:29I know it's early, but it's six points ahead of Manchester City,

04:33seven points ahead of Liverpool.

04:35Are you always surprised at how it's panned out so far

04:38that you have got such a good lead early on that you can now build on?

04:42Well, we are where we are.

04:44It's a credit to us because we've been very, very consistent

04:47by knowing the difficulty of every match as well.

04:49So, it is early doesn't mean anything other than

04:52let's keep doing a lot of things, like we're doing really well,

04:55but there are things to improve to give us better margins as well.

04:58Gary Tynes?

04:59Could you just clarify what the injuries are to the players?

05:02No, because I don't know.

05:04No, because I don't want to tell you.

05:06Because I don't really know.

05:08On Willi there are two things related to his substitution

05:13and with Declan I don't really know because he was unknocked,

05:15but I don't know if he was the calf or Achilles or what exactly it was.

05:19It's inevitably going to be a lot of focus on Eze today playing against his former team.

05:25Can you just talk a bit about how he handled the emotion of that

05:28and just the occasion for him as a whole?

05:32I don't know.

05:33I didn't see any difference.

05:34He's super relaxed always before the game, always a big smile on his face.

05:38He's desperate to play games and I haven't noticed anything different.

05:44It might be inside him obviously.

05:46He's been there a long time.

05:47He has such strong feelings and gratitude to Crystal Palace

05:51and today was a very special game for him.

05:56On a weekend where a couple of managers have mentioned

06:01manner of goals and set-piece goals and long pros,

06:04how happy does it make you to score the way that you scored today?

06:09Well, in any way it doesn't make any difference how difficult.

06:13I think they all have the same value.

06:15We are noticing obviously a shift.

06:18The moment the physicality increases,

06:21methods that are implemented are more efficient

06:25and the game is more difficult to play because you can constrain spaces

06:31because physically you are better and you are better at work.

06:34You have to find ways to score in different ways

06:36and that's what I think everybody is trying to do.

06:39OK, finally Nick in the back.

06:41I was just going to ask about Abrecheza as well

06:43because the spotlight that's on him today

06:46to produce against his former supporters, his teammates

06:49and he delivered with a spectacular goal,

06:51that's not really easy to do, is it?

06:53No, it's not.

06:54That's what big players do and he's certainly a big player

06:56and hopefully that's going to give him a big boost

06:59and confidence to generate many more moments like this

07:02because that's the moments that sometimes define a season.

07:06OK, Rob?

07:07Thanks so much.

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