Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Hails ‘Massive’ Win Over Crystal Palace

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta described his team’s 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace as their most valuable of the season, praising the squad’s resilience amid a congested schedule and against a well-organized opponent.

“Fully agree, I value this victory more than any other this season,” Arteta told reporters.

“After playing every three days—beating Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday and with Brighton in the League Cup on Wednesday—you face one of the best teams in the league. Losing concentration against them, they can punish you. It’s a massive win. We knew how difficult it would be.”

The only goal came from a stunning set-piece finish by Eberechi Eze against his former club, extending Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to four points. Despite the result, Arteta urged caution against early title talk.

“It’s very early—we’re still in October,” he said. “The emotional state is high, but there’s still a lot to improve. Our focus now is on recovering for Wednesday.”

With rivals Manchester City and Liverpool both losing this weekend, Arsenal’s lead grew, but Arteta kept the focus on the team’s consistency.

“This league is incredibly tough,” he said. “The players aren’t allowed their phones, so I hope they weren’t following other results. We are where we are, and it’s a credit to us for our consistency. But it doesn’t mean much beyond the fact that we’re doing a lot of things right.”

Arsenal’s dead-ball expertise played a key role, with the Gunners now boasting a league-high 11 goals from set-pieces this season.

“We’ve noticed a shift—methods that are more efficient. You can contain the spaces better, and we have to find ways to score in different ways,” Arteta explained.

Eze’s strike, against the team he represented for five seasons, drew high praise from his manager.

“He was super relaxed before the game, showing a lot of gratitude,” Arteta said. “The technique on the goal is unbelievable. We needed something special against such a well-organized team.”