Mikel Arteta has expressed his thoughts after Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium. Eberechi Eze's ninth-minute goal, a stunning strike, proved enough for the Gunners to secure three crucial points in the title race.
Arsenal will remain at the summit with a three-point advantage over Manchester City, who were occupied with FA Cup semi-final action at the same time. City came from behind to beat Southampton 2-1 and advance to the final, where they will face either Chelsea or Leeds United.
Arteta Delighted with Win but Wants More Goals
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was delighted to pick up three massive points but admitted that his side should have scored more than one goal. He emphasized that narrow victories are vital at this stage of the season, but his team must improve their finishing quality.
"I'm really happy with the win. We talked about game one and how important that was," Arteta said at his post-match press conference, as quoted by Arsenal.com. "We probably should have finished it with a bigger margin in certain moments of the game. But when it's 1-0, it's always tough because they have quality, because they brought so many good players from the bench as well."
"When we don't finish the action, especially the open ones that we had, the margin is going to be smaller."
Injury Concerns for Havertz and Eze
Arsenal's win came at a cost as the two players who combined for the goal, Kai Havertz and Eberechi Eze, left the pitch with injuries. However, Arteta downplayed fears of anything serious.
"In relation to the two players [Havertz and Eze], there are muscular niggles. We don't think it's too much. We have to wait and see if they're going to be available for Wednesday," he added.
The Gunners will return to Champions League action on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, with a semifinal match against Atletico Madrid in Spain.
Eddie Howe Sees Positives Despite Defeat
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe looked on the brighter side after his team's defeat, their fourth consecutive in the league, and believed there were positives to take from the performance.
"I can't be too critical of the players today. I've been critical in recent weeks, but today I have to say it was a much better performance. Ultimately, it wasn't good enough, but we have to take the positives," he told NUFC TV.
With this result, Arsenal boosted their chances of winning the Premier League title, with Opta's supercomputer predicting a significant increase in their probability of lifting the trophy.
