April 01, (THEWILL) – Mikel Arteta has praised Arsenal’s focus after his team restored their eight-point advantage at the top of the English Premier League table with a convincing win over Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners had seen their lead reduced to five points after Manchester City’s victory over Liverpool earlier in the day, but Arteta’s side responded in kind to pull clear once more. With their commanding lead at the top of the table, Arsenal are hoping to secure their first EPL title in 18 years.
Speaking after the match, Arteta revealed that some of his players had been doubtful due to illness and fitness concerns ahead of the game. Despite this, he was delighted with their performance, saying: “After an international break, you do not know if they are in the frame of mind to come back and do the things necessary to win this league. I am really happy with the performance.”
The Gunners boss was also full of praise for Gabriel Jesus, who scored twice on his first start since returning from injury. “I am so happy for him after all the work from him and the staff throughout the last five months,” Arteta said. “Today, he got rewarded for that. He brings that quality and unpredictability to the squad.”
Arsenal defender, Ben White, also spoke about the team’s approach to the title race, saying: “There’s a lot of noise going on outside. I don’t really know what’s right or wrong, I have never been in this position [competing in a title race] before. So, we are just keeping quiet, heads down and working hard.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
