Premier League: Mikel Arteta shares his views on title race
What's the story
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said one has to go game by game after his team's 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby. The win was highlighted by a hat-trick from Eberechi Eze, who became the first player to score three goals in a Premier League match between these two rivals. Leandro Trossard was also on the scoresheet for the Gunners, who moved six points at the top. Here's more.
Race
You have to go game by game, says Arteta
"You have to go game by game. The league is so tough - you look at the results yesterday and today and the margins teams are winning matches for, it's super reduced," said the Spaniard when asked about the title race. He also added that it's going to be a long journey and his side needs to maintain momentum. "We know it's going to be a long journey, we're really excited with what we're doing and we have to maintain that momentum."
Performance
'Overall it was a great performance'
Arteta felt his team was really strong and intense from the start and felt it was a great performance. "From the beginning, we were really strong, really intense and we had to be patient. But we looked dominant, and scored two goals in the first half." "In the second half, we maintained the consistency and even though there are things to improve, overall it was a great performance," he said.
Career goals
Arteta on Eze's versatility and future aspirations
Thereafter at the post-match press conference, Arteta highlighted Eze's ability to finish actions in different ways, saying "he has such a quality and capacity to finish actions in different ways." The manager also spoke about Eze's desire to play for Arsenal, recalling a conversation from last summer. "When he picked up the phone...and he said he wanted to play for us and he wanted to be part of this team," Arteta said.
Win
Summary of the contest
Trossard opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 36th minute from a lovely through ball from Mikel Merino. Eze doubled the hosts' advantage before the break. He beat two players on the edge of the box before drilling a strike past Gugliemo Vicario. Seconds after half-time, Eze curled a left-footed strike into the bottom corner. Richarlison pulled one back with a long-range stunner before Eze scored another to make it 4-1.