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Arteta hails Arsenal stars for dominant display over Fulham
03rd May, 2026 06:18 AM
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has commended his squad for their intensity and clinical display following Saturday’s, May 2, 2026, convincing 3-0 triumph over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.
Just 48 hours after returning from Spain where they had featured in a UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid, Arsenal delivered a dominant opening-half performance that effectively settled the contest, having gone ahead as early as the ninth minute.
The victory moved the Gunners six points clear at the summit of the Premier League standings with only three fixtures remaining. Speaking after the match, the manager expressed his satisfaction with both the collective and individual displays.
The team clicked
“I’m really, really happy,” he said. “I think it was a big performance, a very strong team performance, and a very impressive individual performance as well from the boys. We came back from Madrid on Thursday afternoon, also playing a game that took a lot from us, energy-wise, mentally, but the team responded incredibly well,” Arteta said.
“We had some fresh legs in the team, and you could notice that, and the team clicked, connected immediately, especially in the attacking phase, and then with our supporters, which is very important as well. And the moment that that combination happens, we make it so hard for the opponent.”
Despite making five alterations to the side that featured in their previous league outing, Arsenal began the match on the front foot, a response Arteta revealed he had anticipated even before kickoff.
“I got a really good feeling on Thursday when we had a meeting before we got on the plane, because we talked about everything that we have to do now,” he revealed.
“It’s about energy and showing how much we want it, and that hunger. And the team clicked immediately, the boys delivered what we planned against a really tough opponent, and we were very efficient,” he added.
Gyökeres shines
The Spaniard also singled out striker Viktor Gyokeres for praise after the forward netted twice and assisted Bukayo Saka, taking his season tally to 21 goals. The Swedish international has now become just the second Arsenal player in the past quarter-century to surpass the 20-goal mark in his debut campaign.
“It gives some perspective of the difficulty and what Viktor is doing for us,” Mikel said. “We need players in a big and positive emotional state now, and he’s certainly one of those. He feels confident, he’s scoring very important goals as well, and that’s going to be key for Tuesday,” Arteta said.
Looking ahead to the decisive second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, with the tie balanced at 1-1, Arteta shared his anticipation.
“I can’t wait. I saw the energy now in the dressing room and we are all ready for it. Let’s create something unique and let’s get to the final.” He stated.
