Arteta explains why Arsenal’s win v Coventry impressed him so much

Arteta explains why Arsenal’s win v Coventry impressed him so much The Arsenal manager praised his team’s growing chemistry after the win over Coventry City, while also delivering updates on Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal’s opening-night display after the champions began their Premier League title defence with a commanding 3-0 victory over Coventry City , praising the team’s growing understanding and insisting there is still more to come. The Arsenal manager was particularly encouraged by the fluency of his side’s performance at the Emirates Stadium, where goals from Kai Havertz , Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard secured a comfortable victory and maintained the momentum created by last weekend’s Community Shield success . Reflecting on the performance, Arteta said : “There was a lot to like. Obviously it was a great result, but the manner we started the game, the domination, clarity, understanding and growth in the game was really impressive. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images “It was great because the start is always tricky, we played a team that had a long time to prepare as well, and they are really good at what they do. But again, I was really impressed with the result today.” Arteta highlighted the renewed connections between key players after injuries disrupted much of last season, pointing to the understanding between Ben White , Saka and Odegaard as a major positive. “We missed players playing together last year like [Ben White, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard],” he said. “It was good, it was about the connections between players that I really like, the outside ones as well, Bukayo I think was exceptional. We had some big individual performances and we demand it at this level, the players have to be decisive, and I think they were decisive today.” While Arsenal have strengthened their squad during the summer, Arteta stressed that improving existing players remains his priority. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images “The main focus has to be there, to improve our players and improve the connection between them, because they are already so good,” he said. “We talked about attacking input last year and we missed some of those players for a lot of months. The team still had a really good performance, winning a lot of matches, and when we have that, that’s a bonus.” Asked whether becoming champions had changed the mood within the squad, Arteta dismissed suggestions of a dramatic shift. “They keep asking me that, but they look exactly the same to me! Inside of each player I don’t know what’s going on, but what I did transmit is more desire and energy to improve, to be better, and to earn the right to be better than anybody else. That’s what we want to do.” He also rejected the idea that winning the title should allow his players to relax. “They can flow, relax, no, I don’t like ‘relax’!” he said. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images “They need to be with the right level of clarity, they know how to do it, they look really connected, and they play with a lot of purpose, which I really like.” Arteta reserved special praise for summer signing Christos Tzolis , whose lively display continued an impressive start to life in north London. “I love that a player who has only been with us a few weeks gets this kind of energy whenever he’s on the ball, and I think he’s earned it,” Areta said. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images “I think the way he has performed the last few games has been phenomenal, what he transmits as a player, so direct, constantly incisive and wants to make things happen. He has an incredible variety of actions in the last 30 metres to decide and make the right decisions, even when the spaces are really small. I’m really impressed with him.” On the atmosphere inside the Emirates, Arteta welcomed the support but warned it would be judged over the course of the season. “Let’s see when it’s 0-0 or we’re maybe losing a game! Today, the start of the game and the two goals gave us a platform to make us feel this way, but I think we’ve learnt from the past as well what really helps the team, and this atmosphere in the stadium is a joy to witness and to play football in.” Arteta also delivered a reassuring update on Bruno Guimaraes , who was forced off during the match. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images “We expect him not to be out for weeks. Let’s see how he evolves this week, he wanted to carry on and that’s when you start to understand the character of the player, but I don’t expect that to be a big issue.” The Arsenal manager also welcomed the arrival of Ezri Konsa , although he insisted the club’s focus remains on improving the players already at the club rather than simply adding numbers. “When I look at squads, some clubs still have incredible and much bigger squads than us,” Arteta said. “We just look to improve and do what’s right for us, and look at players we already have who can improve us. Ezri is certainly a player we really liked in the defensive line.” Asked whether Arsenal still needed another forward before the transfer window closes, Arteta gave a succinct response. “I’m really happy with the squad that we have, and the main focus is to improve the players we already have, as we already have a lot of good things.” Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images