Arsenal were handed a significant boost in their pursuit of the Premier League title in midweek.
James Tarkowski emphatically volleyed in a 98th minute equaliser for Everton against Liverpool on Wednesday night, meaning the Reds’ points gap with the Gunners stands at seven, with 14 games to play.
Michael Oliver chose to send Arne Slot and Curtis Jones off in the aftermath of the feisty Merseyside derby, with these setbacks potentially halting Liverpool’s momentum.
The North Londoners will hope that these dramatic events at Goodison Park spark a significant downfall for Slot’s team.
Mikel Arteta reveals how he reacted to Everton equaliser vs Liverpool
With the game in the north-west poised at 2-1 to Liverpool, Tarkowski met a sweet volley in the dying seconds to secure a well deserved point for David Moyes’ side.
The goal prompted pandemonium inside Goodison Park, with the Everton faithful delirious at finishing the final derby at their historic old ground in such a jubilant manner.
It appears the goal also caused havoc in Mikel Arteta’s household, with the Spaniard revealing in his press conference on Friday morning that he was locked into the game.
“I better not tell you the story of what happened [when Everton equalised]. It was a funny one,” the Arsenal boss said.
“I lost the connection with the iPad, and I didn’t know exactly what was going on, so yeah, good.”
“That’s the beauty of football, the uncertainty. It shows it’s really difficult to win matches in this league. To do it consistently for ten months, it’s a very, very, very long league.”
It’s evident by Arteta’s focus on Liverpool’s exploits that the Spaniard remains optimistic about his own team’s chances of usurping the Reds.
The Gunners are depleted in forward areas, after Kai Havertz was ruled out for the rest of the season and Gabriel Martinelli sustained a hamstring injury that will see him miss a month of action.
However, with the gap to Liverpool not too drastic, anything could still ensue in the title race, and Arteta is clearly hyper-aware of this.
Mikel Arteta was in a playful mood in his press conference
Arteta is not always the most chipper in his press conferences, particularly when things aren’t going his team’s way.
However, in spite of the injury adversity, the tactician was in a playful mood on Friday morning.
Revealing that he’s a big fan of Valentine’s Day right at the beginning of the conference, he also joked about helping the team on the pitch himself.
Asked if he should strap his boots on to play up front for Arsenal in this period, he laughed and said: “I think we will be in big trouble.”
He was also asked about his goal for Everton against Liverpool in 2010 being on the Toffees’ matchday programme before Wednesday night’s game.
“It’s probably because it was the last time Everton beat Liverpool at Goodison. So, yeah, good memories. I look young.
“I was a very powerful player as you know.”
Evidently relaxed, it’s possible that Arteta is no longer feeling the enormous pressure that has been on him and his team due to the extremity of the injury situation he has to contend with.
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