Mikel Arteta plays down Arsenal win as Gunners move level with Man City

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta downplayed the impact of his side’s dramatic last-minute victory over Leicester, insisting the season is still in its early days despite the win meaning they keep pace with Manchester City at the top of the table.

Following an intense encounter that saw first-half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard matched by a James Justin double for the Foxes, there was late drama with Trossard’s fortuitous volley deflecting off Wilfred Ndidi and a final strike from Kai Havertz in added time securing a 4-2 triumph.

When quizzed on whether this tight win held extra sweetness due to City’s stumble at Newcastle, Arteta responded with trademark tranquility: “This is the sixth game in the Premier League. We are in September.

“We want to win every game. We do our best to do that and we go game-by-game and try to improve every week. But, regardless of what we do, we are in September.

“Of course, we want to create the right platform for the season and in order to do that we have to continue to win, win, win.

“That is the demand when you see the level of the other teams in the Premier League. But we can only control what we do.”

With little time to rest, the Gunners prepare for a tight schedule as they face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League shortly after enduring their sixth match in just 17 days.

Trossard made a triumphant return to Arsenal’s line-up, playing a pivotal role in their win just six days after being sent off in the 2-2 draw with City.

He said: “Obviously, we’ve had a tough run with the fixtures, but we have come out of it really well, scored some good points on the road and we’re just happy to have the win after a tough game.

“I had some good opportunities and when the ball doesn’t go in, you need to keep believing. Everyone kept believing going forward and pushing to create chances. That’s what we need.”

Trossard also highlighted the team’s resilience, adding: “If it doesn’t go your way, you need to keep pushing and that’s what we did. In the end, the luck was on our side.

“It shows how the team bonds together. It’s a great team. We’re happy and now we’ve got a big game on Tuesday.”