arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta praised his side for restoring their identity after coming on behind to beat Leeds United to the Premier League on Saturday
The Gunners fell behind early in the opener at the Emirates Stadium but bounced back to claim an important win against a Leeds side who had arrived in north London unbeaten in the league this season.
Arteta admitted he had been unhappy with Arsenal’s previous performance against Brighton and challenged his players to come up with a response.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, the Spaniard insisted his squad had produced exactly the reaction he wanted, reserving special praise for the substitutes who helped turn the game around.
“Before the game we talked about two things,” he said.
“One, the challenge ahead because Leeds were unbeaten in the Premier League and it was going to be very tough.
“And the second, to recover our identity and be ourselves again, regardless of the context of the party.
“We weren’t happy against Brighton and today was a chance to put that right. We certainly reacted in the way we expected.”
Arsenal’s substitutes were praised for turning the Leeds clash around
Arteta singled out Arsenal’s equalizer as the moment that changed the momentum of the match.
With Leeds having taken the lead at the start of the afternoon, the home crowd needed a response from their team.
“When you play at 12:30 at home and go down 1-0, you have to recover a lot,” explained Arteta.
“The energy is one of them. We had an incredible response, you could feel the crowd, the energy changed immediately.
“The finalists come in and they made a big difference in helping us win the game.
“We bring a lot of leadership in those three players,” he said.
“Goal threat, players who can win duels, can play forward and penetrate against that high pressure.”
