Five goals, three different scorers and one contender for goal of the season: Sunday's 5-1 win at Craven Cottage could scarcely have gone much better.
Unai Emery however, is remaining calm - and he says the mentality of the team is to enjoy the results of the hard work they are putting in off the pitch.
- ‘Torreira is young… but he is doing very well’
- Iwobi - We’re not afraid of facing anyone
- Auba - I knew I had to make an impact
This is what he told the media afterwards:
on whether it was our best performance under him…
I don’t think of this performance like it is the best. But it depends each match on how it happens on the pitch in the 90 minutes, when we scored the first goal is the moment we can play with more confidence on the pitch and the opposition maybe didn’t have the mentality to continue pushing because we are okay. I think 90 minutes and the first half is open, and it was more difficult to defend and we worked very hard and in the second half we imposed ourselves with our possession and we had more capacity to score. We are happy but we are also calm because we know each match is difficult and today we are happy and we are going to continue with this process with humility and with this victory.
on the fans reacting well to the football…
We need to fit together with the supporters, with the club and the players and this mentality is very important for us and to show them our quality and strong work. Then together we can be happy, like today. We need their support, and they support us at every match and away from home. Even today, it is in London, but it is away and I think the players on the pitch feel their support every moment of the 90 minutes.
on whether he thought it would be possible to win nine games in a row...
But sorry, I don't want to look behind. I think every match is different, every match is very difficult. Yes, we are on the table, little by little, giving ourselves a better position for our ideas and our objectives. But I'm thinking of our match against Leicester, at the Emirates, our home, with our supporters. And I want to give them, when we are playing in our stadium, a special feeling with each match and show them we are playing with our quality, playing together with a winning mentality also. Above all, with the commitment and with the behaviour like today.
on only being one point off the top and whether we can win the title...
We lost the first two matches against Manchester City and Chelsea. When we are winning now, continuing in matches, we need to be in the same way. I think our mentality: calm, work, enjoy and enjoy working, together as one thing with our supporters like today. But improving individually, improving collectively and also finding our best performance in each match and the combinations with the players and the system also. Because, we need to continue improving and we can.
on what he liked most about today...
We spoke yesterday, the day before the match. We played Thursday and the time is very short, but we want it like that. We want not to stop thinking and winning in each match. The concentration is one thing that we need every time. When we are arriving at training or at the matches, to push a lot. I think today, not only the players in the first 11, but also in the bench. We won a lot of matches with the players, where they are starting in the match but they are playing 20, 25 or 30 minutes and helping us. Today is the same. The players, they are playing, like Aubameyang and Aaron Ramsey and Matteo, when they are in the side they are continuing helping us with their quality and continuing together in this way.
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