🔴 LIVE: Mikel Arteta reacts to HUGE Arsenal win & VAR CONTROVERSY! | ESPN FC

1:59 Mhm.

3:55 Mhm.

5:50 Mhm.

7:45 Mhm.

9:40 Mhm.

11:35 Mhm.

13:30 Mhm.

15:25 Mhm.

17:20 Mhm.

19:15 Mhm.

21:10 Mhm.

23:05 Mhm.

23:53 Good afternoon, everyone.

23:56 Raise your hand if you have a question.

23:56 We'll come try to come to as many as we can.

23:59 Okay, we'll kick off with Alex from the BBC.

24:02 Hi.

24:03 A huge win, dramatic moment in the title race,

24:05 and a way for you to get it as well.

24:08 You seemed pretty certain from the moment

24:10 that Lacazette went in that it was a foul, but were you nervous at all?

24:14 Well, yeah, what a moment.

24:16 Um What an afternoon, what a week it's been for us, so full of emotions.

24:21 I cannot praise enough the attitude, the desire, the courage,

24:25 and the quality that the team has shown throughout this week,

24:27 because there was so much at stake,

24:29 and um and today we knew against a team that is fighting for their life,

24:33 a club with an incredible history, uh how tough it was going to be.

24:37 I think we started the game so well.

24:40 Create three big chances to go in front,

24:42 and we didn't manage to do that, so we have to keep our heads cool.

24:45 And then we have the Ben White's injury, we have to make an adjustment there.

24:49 After the half time, we have to make another one with Ricky's injury.

24:54 And after that, I said at half time to the boys,

24:55 "We're really going to go for it.

24:57 So we are ready because if the game is not planning out in the manner

25:00 that we have to we're going to have to to change it and the finisher

25:05 I've done the difference Martin is coming and he has an incredible impact

25:08 in the game and action that leaves Leo in a top position to score the goal.

25:13 And as I said there are two moments.

25:15 One is David's save with Nélson one against one which is the story

25:19 of the season again and the other

25:21 one it's in the most chaotic circumstances when

25:25 two teams are playing for their lives a call from the refs that I

25:28 think it's very brave but very consistent

25:31 with what they've been talking about all season.

25:34 So when I have to be critical I have

25:36 been and today I have to praise them at least

25:38 for giving the option to a referee to decide

25:41 away from the lights and the chaos to give clarity

25:44 to him to make the right call and I

25:46 think when you look at the action in that way

25:49 I think it is an obvious error and it is

25:52 a free kick and the goal has to be disallowed.

25:56 Congratulations because they made a big

25:58 call in very very difficult circumstances.

26:13 Yeah.

26:20 Yeah.

26:26 Probably today I have realized how difficult and how big is a referee's job.

26:34 Because you're talking about a moment that can

26:36 decide the the history the course of two massive

26:40 clubs that they are fighting with their lives

26:42 to achieve their objectives and uh the pressure is huge.

26:48 It was the right decision.

26:54 Yeah.

26:57 We don't know, but he doesn't look good at all.

26:59 So, he needs some further testing tomorrow,

27:01 probably, and I will know a bit more.

27:04 And also, just ask you more generally, apart from the game itself, I mean,

27:08 it felt like such a big hurdle to get over this one this week,

27:12 knowing exactly what's in front of you now.

27:14 How do you feel?

27:15 How do they in the dressing room feel?

27:17 Amazing.

27:18 I mean, I feel so happy, so proud.

27:22 Relieved, as well, because we knew the difficulty of the game.

27:26 But we done it.

27:27 It's been a a phenomenal week in in every sense.

27:30 What the team has done, the way we played, the way we have approached games.

27:34 Um then what our supporters have done for us this season,

27:39 all week and today, as well, is is phenomenal.

27:42 I think it changes the energy of the team, and uh yeah,

27:45 we have to live the present now and just think about Burnley,

27:48 because that's the only important thing.

27:51 James CBS.

27:52 Mikel, sounds like you had to make the change with Kiwior at half time,

27:56 but did you feel like moving Ben White to right back maybe didn't work

27:59 as as well as you expected and as well as it worked at Brighton?

28:02 There are two actions defensively that we suffered a little bit.

28:05 I don't think it's because of his position,

28:06 and but but we altered [clears throat] things.

28:09 We had to.

28:09 But as well, with the game that I expected,

28:12 bringing Mosquera was going to lock something that we really believed that he

28:17 can give us that fluidity and and the chance to hurt them.

28:23 But sometimes you have to make another change,

28:24 and the one on Trossard was tough,

28:26 but I really felt it that we had to put two attacking midfielders

28:29 in that moment to to generate all the kind of issues and threats,

28:32 and and thanks God it worked out.

28:35 Tom Pullen.

28:36 Um often you you think about games where you might score

28:39 a lot of goals and get momentum [clears throat] from that.

28:41 But can games like this that end in such

28:43 a way give you such an emotional feeling, actually,

28:45 and be very in a Especially there is only two games to go after that and we

28:50 have created some big chances and we didn't we

28:54 didn't score and the team had to stay cool

28:56 and I knew that they were going to have

28:57 moments as well because they don't need much to create

28:59 issues in and around your box with the players

29:01 that they have and the setup that they have.

29:04 So, yeah, we navigated through that and and I think we deserved to win the game.

29:08 Okay, last two because you know who's waiting

29:10 we'll go to Nick from Hayes and Yeading.

29:11 A couple of those early chances fell to him

29:12 at the end of the first half and he hit the post.

29:15 Once.

29:15 Yeah.

29:16 And then wait so late to get that winner.

29:19 His first goal in 2026 despite a good run of form recently.

29:23 Yeah.

29:23 Your thoughts on that?

29:25 Well, there is a player that makes a difference for us and he had

29:29 as everybody it's impossible to maintain the level

29:31 especially what we demand to our front players.

29:34 I think recently he's been really really good.

29:36 I think the games he's played this week has been phenomenal and and yeah,

29:41 he's made a difference.

29:42 Yes, Sandali Murray finally.

29:43 Thank you.

29:44 Hi.

29:44 What can I say about Donny Ryan?

29:45 What can I say about that?

29:46 It's the first time I've seen him score.

29:49 When you talk about magic moments,

29:50 this is certainly one in the most needed moment

29:54 as well to to pull off with with that save.

29:57 It was incredible.

29:58 Best save of the season?

29:59 Sorry?

29:59 Best save of the season for you?

30:01 I don't know.

30:01 He's he's made a few to be fair,

30:03 but so uh yeah, that tells you how how good he's been.

30:07 Okay, everyone.

30:08 Thanks very much.

30:08 Thank you.

30:40 No, it's just that Okay.

34:35 Mhm.

36:34 Good.

36:35 Thank you, Carlos.

36:37 Hello.

36:41 It's the lack of consistency in the decisions,

36:43 I think in this previous recent seasons he's been having a lot of blocking,

36:49 grappling, holding, almost like a wrestling situation that all all of us

36:53 don't understand what is a foul, what is a a foul.

36:56 I think even the referees confuse themselves and this is

37:00 upsetting due to the duality of of criteria.

37:05 Sometimes it is, sometimes it's not and today is frustrating.

37:14 But I see I have I have the same the same view of everybody.

37:17 Sometimes I think it is, sometimes it is not because it then you look

37:20 at every corner in the Premier League what's happening.

37:23 It's um it's um it's everything like this, isn't it?

37:28 Not only today, but in all the pitches, so the teams are everybody,

37:34 us inclusive trying to But what is the the barrier,

37:39 what is the frontier of of what is a foul and what is not a foul?

37:42 It's it's tough.

37:44 Yeah.

37:49 Sorry?

37:53 I Yes, it's what I'm I'm talking about the lack of consistency.

38:00 I think um everybody's confused.

38:02 Everybody's confused.

38:04 So, I think it's up to the referees to try

38:06 and and detect what is what is a foul, what is allowed,

38:10 what is not allowed because it seems like um

38:13 the rules has changed and um everybody feels confused and frustrated.

38:18 The players don't don't understand it.

38:22 Sorry?

38:23 Is it so estate for the Premier League?

38:32 Yeah, and they have to solve it.

38:34 They have to to come to the clubs and explain

38:36 and show and try to explain why sometimes it is,

38:39 sometimes it's not, sometimes it's a goal, sometimes not a goal.

38:43 Because everybody feel confused and today we are we are upset and we are sad.

38:52 Yeah, okay.

38:59 No, no, no.

39:01 It's not up to us to to judge.

39:02 It's up to them to solve.

39:04 There's a referee, there's a VAR and they have to take

39:06 responsibility and explain the reason behind

39:09 different decisions when it looks similar.

39:13 Yeah, it's upset, it's sad.

39:15 But at the same time we have the responsibility and we

39:19 we're going to try these two games realizing that it's it's tough,

39:23 but we represent a big club.

39:26 And today our fans again show the support and the energy that they gave us.

39:30 So we're going to we're going to fight for them till the last second.

39:39 We're going to fight.

39:39 We're going to fight till the end trying to achieve good performances

39:44 with a different end in these two final games of the season.

39:54 I think yeah, honestly I believe that we did a good job.

39:57 The players, the intensity, the way we pressed,

39:59 the way we run and we we we create problems to to Arsenal.

40:05 We have a huge chance just before.

40:08 Can be different.

40:10 The way we we play football today was positive.

40:13 Unfortunately we didn't achieve the result that we needed.

40:15 We came here with a clear purpose of trying to keep the fight.

40:21 But like I said, uh again, bounce back, react, and go to St.

40:26 James' Park and fight for it.

40:29 Thank you.