Arteta delighted as Arsenal sink Villa

Mikel Arteta said Arsenal’s victory at Aston Villa carried special meaning, particularly because the club had suffered a difficult defeat at the same ground last season.

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I’m very happy. This is a very meaningful victory. It is not easy to come here and get three points. I think we deserved to win.

Bukayo Saka scored with a close-range finish in the second half to give the defending champions a 1-0 win and their second consecutive victory at the start of the Premier League season.

Arteta praised the effort of his players in a tight match. “I’m very happy. This is a very meaningful victory. It is not easy to come here and get three points. I think we deserved to win,” he said.

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We played very well. With 11 players, it still wasn’t enough, but the players who came on did a great job to finish the game and secure the victory.

He also highlighted the contribution of the substitutes, saying the starting 11 alone were not enough to finish the game. “We played very well. With 11 players, it still wasn’t enough, but the players who came on did a great job to finish the game and secure the victory,” Arteta said.

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I know how difficult it is to win here. Every big team struggles against them because they are so good.

Arsenal will host Chelsea on Sunday in an early test of both teams’ title ambitions. Arteta said he remembered how difficult it had been to earn points at Villa Park and that last season’s defeat remained painful. Arsenal could also add players before the match, with Atlético Madrid striker Julián Alvarez linked to the club.

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Last year, we lost here in a way that was very difficult to accept. That defeat is still in my memory.