Mikel Arteta happy with Arsenal’s win. (Images from Amazon Prime)
Arsenal beat Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night, but the Premier League club worked hard for the win with Mikel Arteta explaining after the game the reason for his disappointing performance in the second half.
The Gunners went into the game with the Ukrainian giants looking to make it back-to-back wins in Europe after overcoming PSG last time out, leaving the London club with a total of four points for the campaign.
Arsenal would claim their second Champions League win of the season against Shakhtar with an own goal in the first half of goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk helping Mikel Arteta’s men get all three points.
The Ukrainian side were fortunate to go into the break only a goal down, but they almost made Arsenal pay for that in the second half. The English giants were very flat and asked to put pressure on themselves in the second 45 minutes. The Premier League side also lost Riccardo Calafiori.
The Gunners’ biggest chance of the half would come from the penalty spot but Leandro Trossard would see his spot-kick saved, that sums it up.
Arsenal got away with their underwhelming second-half display and Arteta claimed after the game that it was down to fatigue, caused as a result of the north London outfit having to play most of their game with Bournemouth at the weekend with ten. men
“We dig deep, we get the result, so happy days”?
Mikel Arteta reflects on Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Shakhtar #UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/mbsRyXkbvr
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“A bit of fatigue” contributed to Arsenal’s poor display, admits Mikel Arteta
Speaking after the final whistle, Arteta was happy with the three points against Shakhtar Donetsk, but not with Arsenal’s second-half performance.
The Spanish coach put it down to fatigue, explaining Amazon Prime: “Very happy with the result, winning in the Champions League is always difficult and important. I think there were two very different halves. In the first half we were dominant and we should have scored two or three more goals. We didn’t do it.
“In the second half I felt a little tired. For 65 minutes we played with ten men two and a half days ago. It was a big task and we lacked a little clarity, a little more purpose with the ball and we left the game a little more open.”
Arsenal host Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium at the weekend and Arteta will need his players in top form when the two Premier League title contenders meet on Sunday evening.
