Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal continued their steady march toward a Premier League title with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
It could’ve been easier and a bit more fun, to be sure, but Eberechi Eze’s goal was a beauty and the Gunners continue to defend as well as anyone in the world.
MORE — Arsenal vs Crystal Palace recap, video highlights
Arteta raised eyebrows when he removed William Saliba for Cristhian Mosquera at the break. Was it injury? Was it rest? Tactical?
How did Arteta view it all?
Mikel Arteta reaction — Arsenal boss on win over Crystal Palace, William Saliba substitution
How are you feeling? “Very big. Really happy because we knew the difficulty of the match. It was a crucial win against a really good side.”
What did Arsenal do well? “Today we were clinical, defensively excellent. We struggled to generate big chances against them. No one is the way they are set up. We found a way to score a goal and another clean sheet.”
Eze’s goal was special: “We had many other situations in and around the box, especially with second balls against a team that defends with such intensity.”
Saliba injury update “We had to get him out. He was in some pain. We have to review, but he wasn’t good enough to continue. With Declan [Rice] it was the same. We had a couple changes due to discomforts.”
Subs have your trust: “They earned it, the way they compete, the way they play, the way they want to win especially. The five that came in made a difference today.”
Another clean sheet is very nice. “Very important. To beat any opponent in this league is an absolute nightmare. You have to be so good to do it and to keep a clean sheet helps a lot.”
