Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Says There's A Lot To Be Excited About
- Think Football Ideas
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
Arsenal’s Arteta Praises Youth and New Signings After Leeds Rout
The Emirates was rocking on Sunday, and Mikel Arteta made sure to match the energy that swept through north London.
Arsenal’s 5-0 dismantling of Leeds United provided a near-perfect opening home game of the season, and the manager couldn’t hide his satisfaction at how his side delivered in all areas of the pitch.
“A lot to be excited by. A really positive afternoon to start the season off at home,” Arteta told Sky Sports afterwards. “You could feel the energy immediately, that it had gone up a level and that is what we were looking for.
“The team played really well, really confident. The team created a lot and did not concede anything. Five goals and a clean sheet is a really good start.”
That sense of excitement was fuelled not just by the scoreline, but by the stories woven into the match. Viktor Gyökeres, a summer signing tasked with leading the line, announced himself properly with two goals.
Jurrien Timber, back from a long spell out, reminded supporters of his qualities with a brace of his own, a fitting reward for his resilience and hard work through recovery.
Arteta was quick to highlight the variety his side displayed: “We have abilities to score in various ways. Very happy for Viktor [Gyökeres] scoring his first two goals and Jurrien [Timber] too for his two goals after such a long injury and hard work. Then the other debuts of Mosquera and Max at just 15 years old, that was special for sure.”
But the day’s loudest cheers arguably came for teenager Max Dowman. The 15-year-old winger stepped onto the Emirates turf and within minutes was at the heart of the action, drawing a penalty that Gyökeres converted for Arsenal’s fifth.
On managing the buzz around the youngster, Arteta struck a note of caution: “We have to gather all the information. It's how he reacts and deals with the situation. What his teammates think about him, which is clear, because they kept on passing him the ball.
“It is great to be able to change the energy in the stadium by bringing him in and he had an impact. He won a penalty on his debut at the Emirates, that's incredible.”
Arteta made sure to credit those behind Dowman’s rapid rise. “It's credit first of all to his family, the way these kids have been raised and the environment created.
“They are not overwhelmed by the environment and context. And the work of the academy, for helping to raise these kids in that manner with the confidence and understanding of the game at just 15 years old.”
For Arsenal fans, this was the dream home start: new signings thriving, senior players back to their best, and academy talent proving the future is in good hands.
Arteta has always spoken of building an environment that fuels belief and ambition, and after this display, his words carried the glow of a man convinced his team is moving in the right direction.