Coach Mikel Arteta: 'Please, give Arsenal a little breathing room'

Arsenal won 2-0 against Brentford at Emirates, but Coach Mikel Arteta is still worried due to injuries to Declan Rice and Mosquera, and he criticized the packed fixture list impacting the squad.

Coach Mikel Arteta shared notable comments after Arsenal claimed a 2-0 win over Brentford at Emirates, thereby restoring a 5-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Despite missing several key players and having to rotate the squad, the “Gunners” maintained good control of the match and sealed the win with a late goal from Bukayo Saka.

Speaking to the media, Arteta admitted that Arsenal had just gone through an extremely demanding week both physically and mentally: “Calling it a ‘rest’ is a bit optimistic. We had to make changes because it was a very demanding week in every aspect. Only three days of recovery, one day less than Brentford, but the whole team still played with the discipline, energy, and quality required.”

Although taking an early lead, Arteta felt that a 1-0 scoreline was not safe enough, and Arsenal needed more determination to relieve the pressure. He praised the team’s spirit in ball possession, overcoming pressing, and efforts to finish the game in the second half.

However, the victory also came with concerns as Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera both had to leave the pitch due to injuries. Arteta was cautious: “Obviously, that is never good news. Declan had to come off, and we need to do further checks tomorrow. Mosquera as well. We’ve already lost Gabi and Willy before, so the whole squad has to adapt.”

Declan Rice has played many minutes for Arsenal and the England team. But the problem is when we play? We played on Wednesday night and have to be back on the field by Saturday morning. Players can handle many minutes, but if possible, please give us a bit more time to breathe. That is really important for the players’ health.”

On the other hand, the Spanish coach gave high praise to substitutes like Ben White, Noni Madueke, and Victor Ozhianvuna. He especially commended Mikel Merino – who scored the opening goal with a skillful finish: “He is exceptional. Not just the goal, Merino showed relentless effort in both attack and defense. He’s in great form and has made the team much stronger.”

Concluding the press conference, Arteta thanked the fans for arriving early and boosting the team’s energy: “We really needed that motivation today.”

Related articles

CONFIRMED: Arsenal’s first signing of 2026 revealed Arsenal is preparing to complete their first transfer of the summer 2026 window by turning the loan deal for Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen into a permanent contract. See more