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'It wasn't a pretty win, but we managed the game'

By Mikel Arteta's own admission, it was been a "tricky, demanding" week for us - but we ended it on a high by beating Sheffield United.

Our manager was pleased we claimed the three points, but admitted there were aspects on the performance that could have been better.

 

"It wasn't a pretty win because when you're [not able] to score a third goal against this team, you have to hang in there," he told Arsenal.com.

 

"They scored the goal when we were in complete control of the game and they're a team who are really dangerous. They started to throw a lot of bodies forward for set-pieces and throw-ins. They do it really well but we have to manage the game and go through it, and we did it and managed to get the three points.



"It's been a really tricky week mentally and physically, really demanding. When you play against this team with that low block, 5-3-2 and really organised, really hard to beat, you need to bring them out.

 

"We have to improve our ball speed, that was the first thing that I told them. Then some of the movement, control of the spaces and use of the overloads in the right areas.

 

"The moment we interpreted that better, we attacked much better, scored two beautiful goals, but we didn't close the game and in the Premier League that's always open."

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