Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration with the Premier League schedule following the 2-0 win over Everton. The match, which was played at 3pm on Saturday at the Emirates, was the last in a series of matches that included a European duel in Munich on Wednesday and a return to London on Thursday. Arteta took advantage of the post-match press conference to denounce the “terrible planning” that, according to him, has left his team with little recovery time.
During the conference, Arteta highlighted the performance of his players, underlining that Arsenal had overcome the obstacles imposed by the schedule. “We are very happy with the victory, with the performance and with the week, because they gave us terrible planning,” said the coach. He added that the team played on Sunday afternoon, returned to Munich on Wednesday night, returned very late on Thursday and had to face a difficult opponent again in the Premier League on Saturday. “We played on Sunday afternoon, then on Wednesday night in Munich, we came back very late on Thursday and we had to play again in the Premier League against a very difficult opponent on Saturday at three in the afternoon,” he lamented.
Despite the accumulated wear and tear and losses, Arsenal managed to win thanks to the defensive solidity and the performance of their centre-backs. Arteta especially valued the mentality of Gabriel Magalhães, who, after a physical scare during the match, continued and ended up scoring one of the two goals. “That's what we need from our players,” declared the coach, satisfied with the victory that keeps the team in the fight for leadership of the table.
With Everton's defeat, Arsenal advance in the title race, while the demanding schedule remains a topic of debate among fans and experts. The next challenge for Arsenal will be to face another Premier League game in a short period of time, which raises questions about load management and squad depth. The London club will have to adjust its planning to continue competing at the highest level in the next matches.