Arsenal are still playing ‘catch up’ after second successive win, Arteta

Jason Soutar
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

Arsenal made it two Premier League wins in a row against Burnley on Saturday, but manager Mikel Arteta admits his side still have a lot of catching up to do.

Martin Odegaard scored a sublime free-kick in the 30th minute and the Gunners held on despite second-half pressure from the hosts.

Burnley were given a penalty in the second period after Matej Vydra went down under a challenge from Aaron Ramsdale. However, the decision was overturned by VAR.


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And Arteta has described the win as “hard-fought” in a difficult atmosphere.

He told BBC Match of the Day: “It was a hard-fought victory at a really tough place. You have to be ready for a fight. In the first half we had some really good periods when we were really dominant and should have scored more goals. In the second half we gave the ball away cheaply too many times.

“We have players who are not at their strength playing in this type of game, but they did their best and we got the win. I’m very proud of them defensively and I’m really pleased with the win.

“It’s two wins in a row, two clean sheets. Let’s go again. We have a lot to catch up!”

On the penalty, he added: “The assistant was saying straight away it’s not a penalty. You have to overturn that.”

The Spaniard praised match-winner Odegaard, saying: “He scores, he has quality to find pockets and he works so hard. He’s becoming a real leader in the team.”

The Arsenal playmaker was pleased with his goal, admitting he was adamant he would be taking the free-kick.

He said: “When we got the free-kick I immediately went to the ball. It was a big moment and a nice moment to see it go in. You need to hit it pretty perfectly, with the right speed and the right height.

“The game was kind of a war in the end. We know their strength. We played their game a little more than our own game. In the second half they played their game and they’re good at it. We need to be a little bit smarter when we win the ball.

“I believe in this team. Even though we lost some games in the beginning, I’m not too surprised we’ve got some points now.”