Mikel Arteta praised Bukayo Saka’s mental toughness after the Arsenal right-winger bounced back from a first-half penalty miss to score the 65th-minute goal that effectively ended the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid. Arsenal eventually won 2-1 on the night, and 5-1 on aggregate.
“It could have been a turning point emotionally in the game but the way he handles it, the personality, at his age playing in this stadium for the first time was incredible,” said Arteta after the game. “I could have given him a clip round the ear. But he decided what is best: he had the courage to take it, that’s what he thought was best. I was more concerned about the emotional part of it. Then with the penalty (for Real Madrid) that they ruled out. I felt then that the game might be going somewhere we didn’t want.
“I could have given him a clip round the ear.” – Mikel Arteta about Bukayo Saka
“You come here and see it live and you realise how difficult it is here, how anything can happen. They can drive you into scenarios that are very difficult. But we have done it and we did it in a very clever way. We were very clear. The biggest pride is when I look at my players and I talk to them and I can see how convinced they feel.”
A product of the youth system at Barcelona, Real’s bitter rivals, Arteta also thanked Pep Guardiola for being an inspiration as a player and for giving him his first opportunities as a coach.
For the Latest Sports News: Follow RevSportz