Mikel Arteta calls on his Arsenal players to stay humble in wake of their FIVE GOAL win against Manchester City | OneFootball

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hailed homegrown heroes Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri after both teenagers scored in the club’s 5-1 statement win over Premier League champions Manchester City.

“They know that I believe in them,” Arteta said, “that we believe in them. When I put them next to the boys, they feel that with them, they are as good or better, and that’s really, really important. They play with a lot of purpose, and they play truly to contribute and to make things happen, that’s what I like about both of them.

He was  not so impressed by his side’s ‘Erling Haaland celebrations’.

A number of Arsenal players made a point of reminding City striker Haaland of his ‘stay humble’ comments in the wake of Arsenal losing the lead in a last-minute September draw in Manchester.

Defender Gabriel celebrated in the face of the Norwegian and Lewis-Skelly topped the lot by superbly mimicking Haaland’s zen mediation pose when he scored his first senior goal to put Arsenal 3-1 up and kill City’s spirit in the process.

Pep Guardiola, the City manager, said that he liked it and was glad the Arsenal players did it

Arteta, while enjoying the moment, did not seem so sure and explained:  “There’s nothing that I want to discuss about that, it is down to the players, but they know my view on it, and we have to focus on us. We have to focus on us and leave anything that happens, it’s part of the game on the pitch, whatever happens there, I think we’ve been in football a long time, just leave it, there’s nothing there to do.”

Arteta also pointed out how his players had to suffer in order to earn their victory.

He added: “I say ‘just enjoy the day. I think it’s something that we will learn from as well and understand still that a lot of things have to go your way to win in that manner.

“One of the main things, again, is to create the unbelievable energy that we created in the stadium. I mean, we cannot waste one minute without playing with that, because I think it infects the team, transforms the team, and it makes it really difficult for the opposition.

“And then for the players to believe that we can compete against anybody in our day, when we play at that level individually and collectively, we compete at that level, and I think it’s going to be very helpful for the future.”