As a result, Arsenal finished second with 10 points in the Premier League table, with Liverpool, five points behind the leader, and Manchester City, with seven points.
He said: “No one asked me about Bilbao’s midfield 3. There’s no one. I think that’s the best thing for the team, so it’s the same midfield.”
Some critics suggested that Arsenal played too modestly in the first half against Man City given his recent form, and Arteta admitted he was disappointed that he would leave in just a draw.
“I’m very proud of the players and the team. Overall, I’m very disappointed with the outcome.”
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Guardiola says he doesn’t care about the outcome and identifies his “lost” traits last season
Video Credits: SNTV
Bukayo Saka was featured at halftime as the team chased the equalizer, but Arteta refused to make a mistake with his tactics for the first 45 minutes. Instead, he said that most of the opening period was on track for Arsenal, except for his goal.
He said:
“I think they scored the goal after absolutely nothing before that. We were a little shaky for five or ten minutes. And after we still got the game in hand, we started dominating it.
“The second half was a continuation with one different player, followed by two or three players.”
Arteta recently began discussing alternatives as the game’s “finisher” and forced the decision to lift scorer Martinelli off the bench. The Spaniard explained why he was called to him in the drift of the game and pointed to his goal against Bilbao as a reason to give him another chance.
“We had very good momentum too,” he began. “He’s been in a really good moment and after the match against Bilbao, that period is worth more.
“His energy and attitude were really good, so he had the impact he had on the team.”
