Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal’s “special performance” and says they “reached a new level” after securing their place in the last 16 with a 3-1 win over Inter at San Siro.
Gabriel Jesus scored twice, while Viktor Gyokeres also got on the scoresheet to ensure Arsenal’s perfect start to the league continued this season.
Arsenal have won seven consecutive Champions League games for the first time in their history; only Manchester City (March 10, 2024) has recorded a longer winning streak in the competition between English teams.
And the Gunners have won all 11 of their group or league games in Europe’s premier competition since a 1-0 defeat to Inter in November 2024.
Arteta’s side remain top of the table with 21 points and the Spaniard was delighted with the way they controlled Tuesday’s match.
“I’m very proud of the team. We said before the game that we needed a special performance and we certainly did that,” Arteta told Amazon Prime.
“We have gone to another level and to do that in San Siro against one of the best teams in Europe is something different.
“It was about trying to be better than them. They manage and control the games in a very good way, and we knew we would have to do that on the pitch and with our substitutes.”
Jesus has scored 10 goals for Arsenal in 15 appearances in the Champions League (six goals, four assists), while only three players have done so in fewer appearances for the club.
Gyokeres, meanwhile, scored his third league goal this season, with the decisive goal being Arsenal’s sixth via substitute in this season’s Champions League, joint-highest with PSV.
“There is an incredible player [Jesus]and the bigger the game, the more comfortable he plays,” Arteta said. “He deserves the man of the match award.
“Big impact [from Gyokeres]. The game took a form that suited him very well. He had two chances and put one away.
“For him it’s the second away game he’s played really well and he’s finding some consistency.”
Arsenal remain firm favorites to win both the Champions League and Premier League this season, while they also hold an EFL Cup semi-final lead over Chelsea and are through to the FA Cup fourth round.
“We have it in us [to win all four]Myles Lewis-Skelly told Amazon Prime. “We have the depth and the mentality to come here and win and put in a performance like this.
“We don’t want to look at anyone else, but we have to keep the controllable things under control and that’s what we have to continue to do for the rest of the season.
“That’s in the back of my mind. What takes care of itself will take care of itself. I just have to keep playing well.”
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