What did you make of the game?
We are really happy to win here against a team who have won their last 14 games in European competition in a row. They deserve a lot of credit for that. Not many teams do that. We have come here as number 15 and won it. We talked about it in the last few days and that was the challenged in different conditions, in different context, making a lot of changes find a way to win. We’ve done it.
Were you happy with the second half?
In the second half, we have a lot of things to improve. We know that. I’m not gonna get too deep into that, but know why this happening. I think the boys deserve credit for the way they tried. Quality-wise there are obviously a lot of things we can do better but it is another win. Now move on and on to Leeds.
Are you impressed with how Matt Turner has improved with his distribution since joining the club?
He is improving, he’s getting better, obviously we’re asking him different things from what other managers have asked him to do. He was much better in the first half than in the second half in my opinion we could have had some more control. But I think he was phenomenal in goal. The way he was reading the situations especially when defending the area in behind the centre halves when he needed to control the space there, the way he set himself in the one against one situations that he had he was really good.
READ MORE: Arsenal player ratings vs Bodo/Glimt as Saka scores but Turner and Lokonga questions remain
Would you be confident starting him in a Premier League game?
Yes.
What can you say about Bodo/Glimt’s performance?
Really tough. I said before the Emirates that they’re a really good team who are going to cause you problems especially the moment you start to lose certain duels and allow especially their left back to progress the ball so easily and get through our press. Once we haven’t controlled that we were in big trouble and that was probably the difference between the first and the second half. The conditions of the pitch are another element where you could see it was too fast for us, but there are no excuses.
Did Martin Odegaard ask to start?
Verbally he didn’t ask me to play, but the way he’s been preparing in the last few days for sure showed he wanted to come here and play. It’s the contribution of everybody. Reiss for example, he hasn’t played for three months and the way he trying and going with it. Every single player, even the ones who came from the bench, performing better or worse with the attitude level to win.
If you beat PSV next you’ll go through. How important is that?
In Europe, when you have the opportunity to be there take it. A lot of things happen and it’s very unpredictable. We will prepare the game to be there obviously after Leeds and try to win it.
How much did you agonise over playing people like Saliba and Martin on this pitch and how happy are you that you got through without any injuries?
We are but it’s the squad that we had. We had 16 players available and I had to play 11 and I don’t want those players to play 90 minutes here because I know what’s going to happen in the next day or two. If we got an injury here for sure we would have said we shouldn’t have risked them, but at the end they had to play.
Did you have to dig deeper than you wanted?
We knew that it was going to be complicated. As I said it’s 14 games consecutively that they’ve won here. They played at a different level today. But the team selection was as well because there were some players with other issues who could not start today.
READ NEXT:
Arsenal and Man United facing dreaded Europa League scenario with Barcelona and Juventus at risk
Starter rested, four youngster call-ups and walkout cliques - Things spotted at Arsenal training
Arsenal's best and worst-case Europa League scenario with chance to guarantee knockout spot
Mikel Arteta issues eight-word response to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Arsenal dig in leaked video
Why Fabio Vieira shouted at Reiss Nelson, Turner half-time drill: Arsenal moments missed vs Bodo
