Mikel Arteta paid tribute to his “extraordinary” Arsenal warriors after this epic win over Manchester United.
Eddie Nketiah smashed in a dramatic, 90th-minute winner - his sixth goal in his last five Premier League games - to send the Gunners five points clear of Erik Ten Hag’s side with a game in hand. Arsenal have now beaten Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs home and away and now United this season.
Arteta - who had new defender Jakub Kiwior sitting in the stands - added: “It’s extraordinary. It doesn’t get much better than that. We deserved the points that we have. We have played well enough to win most of the matches.
“But the reality is that we have things we can get better at. Attacking and defending in transitions. That’s the aim.”
Marcus Rashford netted first for United after 17 minutes with his 20th goal for club and country this season. Nketiah headed Arsenal level seven minutes later before Bukayo Saka smashed in a superb strike to send the Gunners in front, eight minutes after the break.
Lisandro Martinez headed United level after 59 minutes but Nketiah was ruled onside to strike at the death. Arteta added: “I don’t think it gets better much than that. It was a beautiful moment, a really special one because we were pushing and pushing and pushing and it wasn’t coming.
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“It came at the end - VAR made it more difficult - but it was electric, emotional and really passionate and I loved it.” Twenty-three year-old Nketiah has now hit six goals in six games since the World Cup to defy suggestions that Arsenal would struggle without the injured Gabriel Jesus.
Arteta said: “What Eddie is doing is incredible. I cannot say we saw that coming. We were hoping he could do that because of the way he is, his mentality.
“Also because of the way that his qualities fit in the team. Losing Gabi was a big blow but Eddie is responding in an exceptional way.”
Defeat for United was their first since losing at Aston Villa in November. Ten Hag’s men have now conceded late in successive games after dropping points at Palace last week.
The Dutchman said: “I am annoyed and I told the players: ‘If you want to win titles and medals you have to change the mentality.’ You cannot give such a goal away as we did or you can’t win trophies.
“We can change the mentality with coaching. We have already seen how the mentality of the players has changed over the last couple of months. But we have noticed today that we still have a way to go to get to the top level.”
