Arsenal FC head coach Mikel Arteta (Photograph by Marco Luzzani/Getty Photographs)
Mikel Arteta totally anticipated Arsenal to have a ‘very powerful match’ towards Atalanta within the Champions League and stated David Raya’s penalty save towards Mateo Retegui was ‘the most effective I’ve seen in my profession.’
The Gunners had been thought-about the favourites coming to Bergamo this night, as La Dea had been again within the Champions League after a three-year absence.
Nevertheless, they appeared to indicate a whole lot of respect to the Italian minnows, who shocked everybody to win the Europa League trophy final season, their first ever European piece of silverware.
Except for an early Marco Carnesecchi save on Bukayo Saka’s free kick, Atalanta had one of the best possibilities, above all that double Raya save on the Retegui penalty and his follow-up header.
“As we suspected, it was a really powerful match. Not the nicest to look at, as a result of clearly every thing turns into a person to man sport in every single place,” Arteta advised TNT Sports activities.
“We began actually, very well and we had been actually commanding the sport, taking part in within the areas that we wished to play and creating one or two possibilities.
“Then gave a whole lot of ball away and couldn’t get any rhythm or momentum to play within the areas we wished. With out conceding virtually something aside from the penalty, which was most likely the most effective saves I’ve seen in my profession.
“Raya was unbelievable once more in the present day, we had two huge possibilities on the finish with Gabriel. This isn’t the Premier League, containers develop into essential and there usually are not a whole lot of possibilities created or conceded.
“There are a whole lot of positives and there are a whole lot of issues for positive to enhance.”
Atalanta managed to largely neutralise Arsenal, as even the late Gabriel Martinelli effort over the bar seemed to be offside, whereas Juan Cuadrado curled two efforts simply astray on the different finish.
“It’s a sport that calls for one of the best individually and which means having your gamers at their greatest, actually composed, actually good in duels and in the present day we missed that.”
Italy worldwide Riccardo Calafiori got here on as an alternative within the second half and confirmed no less than certainly one of his trademark runs ahead from defence.
“He was actually good as properly, he helped us to get some composure and dominate the sport higher. Yeah, we have to enhance,” concluded Arteta.
Arteta on Arsenal 0-0 Atalanta
“Among the finest saves I’ve seen in my profession.”
Mikel Arteta provides his ideas on Raya’s penalty save and the Gunners’ efficiency 🗣
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— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) September 19, 2024
