We know how Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp sound when their teams are flying, and we thought we knew the sound of a pleased Mikel Arteta, but the Arsenal boss is proving that there are levels to his pleasure.
Arteta was absolutely buzzing after the Gunners came back from blowing a lead to visiting Brentford at the Emirates Stadium, a pair of Ben White assists leading to a 2-1 win and a place atop the Premier League table.
[ MORE: Arsenal 2-1 Brentford recap, player ratings ]
The Spaniard’s take on how it feels to be in first place before Manchester City and Liverpool meet Sunday at Anfield was downright refreshing. Basically, he’s happy to be here and ready for more.
“Tomorrow will be a great day to watch some fantastic games of football,” Arteta said, via the BBC. “It is not in my hands, it is a joy to be part of this league, and a joy to be part of something special that we are trying to achieve.”
The Gunners will finish the week in first or second; First if Liverpool and Man City draw, and second if there’s a winner at Anfield.
Mikel Arteta praises Aaron Ramsdale,Kai Havertz
The win came in a fine manner, too. Aaron Ramsdale was making a spot start because David Raya is a Brentford loanee, and the keeper made a huge error before halftime. He’d late make two sensational saves, and Kai Havertz found the match-winning goal after missing (and creating) a decent chance in the first half.
"[Ramsdale] did exactly what he is — which is a person with huge personality and courage,” Arteta said, via football.london. “Errors are part of football. It’s how you react to it and he did so in an amazing way. I’m not surprised. We really wanted to win for him.”
And on Havertz:
“If somebody told me after the first two or three months that the whole stadium would be singing his song with that passion I would have found it hard to believe,” Arteta said on Havertz, who scored his eighth of the Premier League season. “That’s what happens to good people.”
