Arteta - We're generating some chemistry

Incredible. Proud. Thankful. The superlatives and emotions were flowing from Mikel Arteta after he masterminded our Emirates FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City.

Our head coach expressed his regret that our fans weren't at Wembley to share the moment, and he lavished praise on our players for their Herculean effort against Pep Guardiola's side, an effort that showed the chemistry and camaraderie that's being forged in the squad.

 

"I am really thankful to the players for the effort they are putting in, the performances they are putting in, the chemistry that they are generating," Arteta told Arsenal Digital.

 

"They are trying to play every week, every day. It doesn't matter, we have players with injections, players that were sick, but they're willing to play. At the moment I have a feeling that I can pick anybody that is ready to play and perform at that level.

 

"We made five or six changes the other day, we made the same again today and look at the level of all of the players.

 

"I'm so happy today. To beat [City] in a semi-final and to beat the best two teams in Europe probably in three or four days is something I am very proud of.

 

"I am sorry for the fans because we could've enjoyed a beautiful moment today with them. They are not here but I just want to tell them that we are thinking about them."

 

Arteta sprang a minor surprise by selecting Ainsley Maitland-Niles at left wing-back - but the decision paid dividends.

 

"Absolutely, [he was magnificent]," said our head coach. "And I was sure about that with the way he's training, the way he's changed his mentality and his mindset.

 

"He has everything, he has great qualities, I believe in him. I had to give him opportunities and today he took it with both arms. He had a really good performance.

 

"It feels incredible. I'm so proud today. To bring the club back into a final... we'll see who we will face but now we make sure we finish the league the way we should."