‘We are title contenders’: Mikel Arteta bullish after vital north London derby win over Tottenham

Mikel Arteta has warned Liverpool that a “exciting” Arsenal are back in the Premier League title race after beating Tottenham 2-1 in the north London derby on Wednesday. Desperately needing a win to close the gap on leaders Liverpool, Arteta’s side put up a thrilling fightback after Son Heung-min’s early opener for Tottenham. A Dominic Solanke own goal earned Arsenal an equalizer before Leandro Trossard’s goal put them ahead late in the first half at a raucous Emirates Stadium.

With this first victory for second-placed Arsenal in four matches in all competitions, it is four points away from Liverpool.

Although Arne Slott’s side have a game in hand and remain title favorites, Arteta is convinced Arsenal have what it takes to track down the Anfield club.

In response to a question about whether Arsenal is competing for the title, Arteta said: “Yes, we are. There is a lot to play for. We can see how difficult it is for every team.”

It was a cathartic victory for Arsenal, who were knocked out in the FA Cup third round by a ten-man Manchester United on penalties on Sunday, just days after losing 2-0 at home to Newcastle in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final. .

A draw with Brighton in the league before those disappointments made injury-hit Arsenal look like an outlier in their quest for a first title since 2004.

But Arteta, whose side face another test against Aston Villa on Saturday, was relieved to see his players showing the hunger they will need to overhaul Liverpool in the second half of the season.

“We gave a great performance. It was a big test after two matches and we didn’t get any reward,” he said.

“We were unbelievably good in the last game against United, and somehow we ended up losing.

“That’s how you respond to any situation. These boys want more, they want to test and question, and then they want to get on the pitch. We had great examples of that today, as we played 72 hours after 120 minutes on Sunday.

“Playing the biggest game of the season for our people, it was a test of the situation, what we’re made of, and the courage we have. From the first minute, we totally deserved to win the game.”

“It’s a shame we didn’t score 10.”

When asked whether the success of the North London derby had restored confidence in Arteta and his team, the Spaniard added: “We cannot control that. We lost in an unbelievable way to Manchester United.”

“My confidence comes from seeing the players and how they perform every day. If my confidence comes and goes with every result, then we shouldn’t be doing this.”

And in a show of confidence that Arteta values ​​so highly, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice insisted they should have dispatched Tottenham by a much larger margin.

“You could say tonight meant more than anything else,” he said. “From the first minute, we completely dominated the first half.”

“We showed intent, pressure and desire, you could say it was a derby game. I think we were probably unlucky not to score 10 goals. That’s the feeling.”

England midfielder Rice was in a stormy mood after playing through injury in Arsenal’s midfield.

In response to his critics, Rice said: “As I get older, I don’t get the appreciation I deserve.

“I was bought for a big sum and I play for Arsenal. There are not many people like Arsenal. I keep my head down and know my qualities.”

Like Arteta, the former West Ham star is confident Liverpool can be impressed, as long as Arsenal capitalize on any further missteps from their rivals.

“Every time Liverpool equalized, we didn’t take advantage of that, and that was like a kick in the teeth,” he said.

He added: “Closing the gap is important. It is a big night for us.”

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