Yahoo Finance Mikel Arteta hails Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka after Arsenal brush aside Tottenham in north London derby
Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal academy graduates Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka after Sunday’s north London derby win over Tottenham.
The Gunners’ local lads were instrumental to a memorable 3-1 triumph over Spurs at Emirates Stadium, each scoring and assisting in an unforgettable first half and Smith Rowe going on to claim man-of-the-match honours.
And Arteta was left delighted after his young guns stepped up to the plate and senior campaigners also proved their mettle as Arsenal’s resurgence continued with a fourth successive victory across all competitions.
“It's a good example of the senior players showing big leadership and standing up for the team and the likes of Auba[meyang] scoring the goal and then two academy players," the Spaniard said.
"They've been raised and developed within our system. They've come here in a big derby and worked for the team and scored two goals.
"They are able to trust me to get that feeling because they've been raised and educated really experiencing those feelings and being in the stadium as a supporter of the club.
"A lot of people that we have in our organisation have a real sense of what a derby means and I think they will be proud of what they've seen."
Arteta also hailed Arsenal’s supporters for their role in Sunday’s north London derby success, which saw the Gunners beat their fiercest rivals in consecutive matches for the first time since the 2013/14 season.
He added: "It is one of the nicest things I have experienced in this stadium. To win it, to win it in the way that we did, and to feel that connection with the team and the supporters made it really special.
"That is the beauty of this game and the danger of this game as well that things change so quickly at both ends and you always have to be alert and try to seek improvement and do better, which I believe we can still do."
Additional reporting by the Press Association.
Read More
Hugo Lloris admits Tottenham ‘got smashed’ by Arsenal in wretched first-half derby display
Nuno accepts blame for Tottenham derby loss at Arsenal as he issues fan promise
Arsenal player ratings vs Tottenham: Odegaard sublime in north London derby win as front four shine
