Arteta hails Arsenal after ‘remarkable’ comeback victory against Newcastle

Mikel Arteta said that his Arsenal side had shown the Premier League “who we are” after they reinforced their title credentials by coming from behind to register a statement win at Newcastle.

“It was an opportunity to show who we are, the way we want to be and the way we want to play,” said a smiling Arteta. “And the team has done that in a remarkable way.”

After suffering three straight defeats in a preceding trio of defeats here, Arsenal’s manager saw Newcastle’s take the lead through Nick Woltemade’s first half goal before Mikel Merino’s 84th-minute equaliser and Gabriel’s 96th minute winner changed the narrative.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Arteta. “That’s what football is all about. When you get what you deserve at the end there’s no better feeling. I’m so proud of the team and the way we controlled our emotions and navigated through the different stages of the game. We showed the conviction, the courage the desire and the quality we need to get where we want to be.

“To get to the next level you have to learn from the past and we have certainly taken some lessons from this ground. But today the team took our game to a different level and I’m very proud. Newcastle are a terrific team and it’s so difficult to play against them.”

Eddie Howe, whose side have won only once in the league this season, described the nature of the last-gasp defeat as “intensely painful” but was most concerned about the second half knee injury sustained by his England full-back Tino Livramento.

Although Newcastle’s manager could offer no definitive updates as to Livramento’s condition, he described the sight of the England defender – who, as a Southampton player, was sidelined for a year after suffering with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament – being taken off on a stretcher in evident pain as “really distressing.”

Howe said: “It doesn’t look good. Tino’s such a big player for us in all sorts of different ways that it’s going to be a huge blow if we’re going to be without him for any length of time.”

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