Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his regret that the fans were not there at the Wembley Stadium to witness their memorable victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup 2019-20 semi-final on Saturday.
A brace from Peirre-Emerick Aubameyang was enough for the Gunners to stun City and qualify for a record 21st FA Cup final in a week that also saw them shocking Premier League champions Liverpool in a mid-week fixture.
Arteta has rightly heaped praises on his players and lauded their efforts. He said that despite their underperformance this season, the players have never let their dedication fade away and that is what has helped them made a turnaround.
“I am really thankful to the players for the effort they are putting in, the performances they are putting in, the chemistry that they are generating,” Arteta was quoted as saying on the official website of Arsenal.
“They are trying to play every week, every day. It doesn’t matter, we have players with injections, players that were sick, but they’re willing to play. At the moment I have a feeling that I can pick anybody that is ready to play and perform at that level.
“We made five or six changes the other day, we made the same again today and look at the level of all of the players.
“I’m so happy today. To beat [City] in a semi-final and to beat the best two teams in Europe probably in three or four days is something I am very proud of.
“I am sorry for the fans because we could’ve enjoyed a beautiful moment today with them. They are not here but I just want to tell them that we are thinking about them,” Arsenal’s Spanish boss added.
The win ends a seven successive defeats for Arsenal against City, including a 3-0 away defeat at the resumption of the Premier League last month. Centre back David Luiz, who was ridiculed for his performance in that match, was a rock in defence for Arsenal as they soaked everything that City threw at them after Aubamyang’s strike in the second half.