Mikel Arteta hails 'courage’ of his players after Arsenal's statement victory over Manchester City - 'So proud'

Mikel Arteta hailed the "courage" of his players after Gabriel Martinelli’s late deflected strike earned Arsenal all three points against Manchester City.

The two title contenders were locked at 0-0 entering the final five minutes at the Emirates before the hosts prevailed to move above their rivals into second in the Premier League.

It was a statement win against the reigning champions, and Arteta was understandably delighted with how his side nullified the City threat before snatching victory.

"So proud, it was the moment with the right people and the right players," Arteta told Sky Sports. "We knew we would have to suffer and we did that.

"You need a big performance and the crowd too. It feels like a big win.

"I think the way we started, we conceded the corner and then we gained some control and in the second half we started really good. We were there and really aggressive.

"The changes helped as well. The quality they produced in the goal was top. [City] give you a lot [of problems] and we gave them a lot of issues as well. It is not easy to get out.

"You need the right timing, the right movement, the right moments. I like the courage.

"You are going to have these [hard] moments against this team. You have to be direct and managed the emotions and make sure you don't get caught against this team."

Arteta also heaped praise on goalkeeper David Raya and goalscorer Martinelli for their respective performances.

Raya was brought in from Brentford in the summer to compete with Aaron Ramsdale for the No. 1 spot between the sticks and has now started three games in a row for the Gunners.

"I think he [Raya] was excellent," Arteta said. "The way he controlled the ball. How dominant he was and how high he played. I love players with courage and David certainly has big ones."

On Martinelli, Arteta added that he was impressed with his willingness to enter the fray, against the advice of the physios.

"Another player with big ones too," he continued. "The physios weren't having it and he said, 'I am ready to go'. Leo [Trossard] got injured and I looked to him and he was already ready to go."

The result means Arsenal leapfrog City into second, tied on 20 points with Tottenham, but Arteta insists he isn't getting carried away.

"It is just part of the journey. You learn from every defeat, but the team is so willing. It is a joy to work with them. We have to live this moment we have to carry on."

One player absent from the action was Bukayo Saka. The 22-year-old has struggled with a hamstring injury recently and it brought his run of 87 consecutive Premier League appearances to an end at the Emirates.

Arteta also confirmed Saka will now not meet up with the England squad as Gareth Southgate's side take on Australia on October 13 and then continue their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign against Italy.

"No, he could not make it [today]. He hasn’t had a single training session so he will be out. He’s not available to play football at the moment," Arteta said.

While it will undoubtedly be a blow for England, Southgate insisted he would "never, ever take a risk on a player's physical wellbeing".

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