Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta acknowledged his side’s struggles in the early stages but was full of praise for their second-half response as they secured a hard-fought victory over Leicester City.

“We knew it was going to be tough,” Arteta admitted post-match. “The first 20 minutes, we were too sloppy. It opened up the game a little bit. We didn’t have a real threat and we weren’t playing with enough urgency. We were much sharper in the second half. Mikel [Merino] could give us something with Trossard off the left.”

The switch proved decisive, as Merino once again showcased his ability in an unfamiliar role.

“He certainly has,” Arteta said when asked if Merino had adapted well. “He has a sense of danger and great timing in the box. We were on the verge of getting to a different level of anxiety. But we stayed composed, scored two brilliant goals, and could have had one or two more.”

Arteta also reserved special praise for Arsenal’s young talents, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who played crucial roles in the win.

“Physically, they are built in a really special way already. Emotionally and mentally, how composed they are, and how they make decisions on the pitch are really impressive. So, let them go.”

Despite the positives, Arteta was keen to emphasize the need for improvement.

“That’s what we want. Let’s go day by day and take a lot of positives from the second half but also know the first half wasn’t good enough to win games.”

The victory keeps Arsenal firmly in the title race, but Arteta will demand more consistency as the season progresses.