Mikel Arteta says he lost touch after Arsenal’s late win over Bournemouth – Premier League video
- Arsenal bounced back from a two-goal deficit to win the classic
- “I’ve always seen the potential, the talent and the will of Reiss”
Mikel Arteta hailed an “extraordinary day” in Arsenal’s bid for the title and said their remarkable last-minute win over Bournemouth will bolster their faith in the last 12 games.
Arsenal remain five points clear of Manchester City after Reiss Nelson’s spectacular winner came in the 97th minute and seemed unlikely as the visitors took a two-goal lead. The celebrations around Emirates Stadium were as jubilant as at any point in its history and it felt like a pivotal moment in the campaign.
Arsenal dream on after Nelson sealed an epic comeback against Bournemouth
Nelson’s performance was the kind of moment champions will look back on for years to come. “It was an extraordinary day and at the end a wonderful experience,” said Arteta. “Dramatic but worth living because it had the greatest ending.”
It was Arsenal’s fourth consecutive win and they have comprehensively banished the doubts caused by a spell that earned a point from their previous three. “Winning four Premier League games is very difficult and we did three in one week which is even more difficult,” Arteta said. “We had done it in different ways and that should inspire more confidence.”
Arteta praised the normally peripheral Nelson, a second-half substitute who had played 64 minutes in the top flight this season before arriving midway through the second half and quickly equalizing for Ben White. He now has three goals and one assist in 2022-23.
“I’ve always seen the potential, the talent and the desire for him to do it, but he’s at a different level right now,” he said. “I think emotionally the experiences he’s had have helped him. He knocked on the door, he trained really well and it’s a good lesson for me and for the coaches that we need him.”
Reiss Nelson and Oleksandr Zinchenko celebrate Arsenal’s wild win Photo: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images
Arsenal’s bench piled onto the pitch after Nelson’s winner and chaos reigned in the stands. Arteta described it as “probably the loudest, most emotional moment we’ve had together.”
Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil lamented a defeat that wiped out Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi’s 2-0 lead. “It took a lot of effort to make it the game it was,” he said. “I’m proud of what they’ve produced, but it’s hard to just feel disappointed. The boys are very depressed: putting in so much work and missing seconds is a heavy blow. They’ll be fine, they’re devastated now, but we’ll get back to work.”
Billing’s goal came in 9.11 seconds through a bold break routine. “It might have been something we thought about the day before yesterday,” O’Neil said. “You don’t expect to score with it, but we thought we could catch them with it and we did.”
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