Mikel Merino was the hero off the bench as he scored twice late on when playing as an emergency striker.
Arsenal are now just four points behind leaders Liverpool, who play against Wolves on Sunday in their game in-hand, then play at Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Mikel Arteta reaction to Arsenal win at Leicester
“Very big win. We haven’t had a game for 10 days now after the break. Today is a day with all the questions that have been raised obviously with the injuries, to make a statement that we are here, that we really want it,” Arteta told TNT Sports in the UK. “There were two very different halves. The first one we lacked some urgency and were very inconsistent especially on simple things with and without the ball. In the second half we picked it up and we managed to win the game.”
What did Arteta say to Mikel Merino before he brought the midfielder on as an emergency striker?
“That he was going to score! He’s a real goal threat. At the moment they were defending a bit deeper and we were more established in the final third. We thought he could deliver those moments. Easier to say than to get it done. He was brilliant,” Arteta said.
Arteta was then asked if Merino has similar attributes to Kai Havertz, who Arsenal lost this week to a season-ending hamstring injury.
“Because of their height? They are very different! Mikel has never played as a nine but he’s got that timing. That smell. He can smell danger. Anticipate a situation. He can execute obviously,” Arteta said.
He was then asked about Merino not being told until the day of the game that he might play as a striker.
“There was a lot of debate. I didn’t want to drive him crazy so I said to him this morning he might play there if the game could suit him in that moment, it depends on the game context. It did and he won the game for us,” Arteta said.
And Arteta stayed coy when asked if Merino would play there again.
“Let’s see. Let’s enjoy this one, analyze it and move into the next one,” Arteta said.
Of course, a lot of the focus switched to Ethan Nwaneri as the teenager was excellent. He hit the woodwork twice and set up Merino’s crucial first goal, while fellow teenager Lewis Myles-Skelly made a superb last-ditch clearance at the other end at the back post while the score was still 0-0.
“Unbelievable,” Arteta said of the two teenagers. “They were involved in two of the biggest actions of the game. One when he touches that ball and if not it’s a goal. And then Ethan, every time he was on the ball it looked a threat. He put one on the crossbar, one on the post and what a beautiful cross for the goal as well.”
“At the moment as well with the injuries we have. When you see their behavior and naturally how they behave on the pitch, let them go. Some days we need to protect them but let the handbrake off as well and if they are ready to go to that pace, why should we stop them because they are 17? I think they both have an unbelievable environment both at home and with the people at the club.”
How does Arteta feel about the title race?
“Feel much better,” Arteta said. “It is [a decent week] but let’s see what happens now. We have to do what we can and what is in our control. You come to any ground and it is a nightmare. It’s a battle. It’s very difficult. You have to be at your best to win. It’s going to be a long run.”
Is this win a statement in the title race?
“That we really want it. Regardless of what happens or difficulties that we face, we’re going to give it a real go. The team really wants it. We’ve been seven, eight months already working on that. We are not going to stop and let’s see how far we can go.”
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