Arsenal told they played 'like a Jose Mourinho side' in Tottenham victory

Arsenal battled to a win in the north London derby and have been told they played "like a Jose Mourinho side".

The Gunners continued their strong recent record against Tottenham as they secured a narrow 1-0 win, owing to Gabriel's second-half header at the home of their rivals. Mikel Arteta's men were down on troops - missing the likes of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.
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Their performance was far from perfect as they struggled to create a plethora of goalscoring opportunities, but managed to keep their opponents at bay. Theo Walcott has recognised how, after taking the lead, Arsenal managed the game impressively with Tottenham's chances at a premium.

He said on Match of the Day: "It doesn't really matter how they got it, it was a great result for Arsenal. They showed again that they can mix it up, because they played almost like a Jose Mourinho side to see the game out."

Mourinho, especially during his first stint at Chelsea, become known for grinding teams down and not giving them a sniff. His Blues outfit were renowned for their defensive qualities whilst they were more than prepared to get into a battle if their opponents took the game in that direction.

That has remained a hallmark throughout his managerial career, which has seen him win league titles in four different countries. Arteta has continued to develop himself as a manager and, whilst his team have been immensely eye-catching to watch, he has made them battle hardened with Walcott citing the detail as a huge plus for the team when they're without key men.

He added: "Even though they had some important personnel out, they are so well drilled and structured that they showed it doesn't really matter who plays, because they are all drilled the same way defensively. That comes down to the work they do on the training ground.

"I was lucky enough to watch them in pre-season and the amount of coaching staff who are involved in each session is incredible. It makes the players' lives so much easier when there is that level of detail, with coaches that are literally there for each individual player.

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"As a squad, they are getting the same message drilled into them on a daily basis, so I am not surprised anymore when they can grind out a result like this."

Arteta said after their win on Sunday: "In order to love the game and win, you have to do a lot of things - sometimes people call them ugly. Enjoying doing those ugly things is a big compliment of this team right now."


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