After leading his team to a 2-1 home victory over Leeds United in the Premier League, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was interviewed by TNT Sports.

Mikel, congratulations on the win. What pleased you most about the team's ability to turn the game around and come from behind today?

Well, before the match started, we discussed and emphasized two things internally. First was the huge challenge we were about to face. Leeds United were unbeaten in the Premier League, and they were in their current league position purely on merit, so we knew it would be an extremely tough contest.

The second was to rediscover and restore our team identity and tactical approach—to be ourselves again, regardless of how the match unfolded. We were very unhappy with our performance against Brighton, and today was the perfect opportunity to correct that and get back on track.

The match situation put us in a difficult position, but it gave us an opportunity to prove that we are a team with something very special. Our response on the field today absolutely met our pre-match expectations.

What exactly did Leeds United do to cause Arsenal so much trouble before you scored the equalizer?

Well, there were two main aspects. First, they are an extremely well-organized team, very strong physically, and they showed a high degree of commitment and focus in every action and every challenge.

When we failed to efficiently finish our attacks—we reached many dangerous areas in the first half and should have created more—we lost possession just before the final shot. Once that happened and they got space to counter, they became extremely dangerous. If you gave them fouls, throw-ins, or set-piece opportunities, their attacking performance was incredible. Their belief and determination to attack the box were very strong, and in the first half they had one or two chances to punish us.

In addition, they have excellent individual player quality and are currently in top form, which is a good testament to the high level of competition throughout the Premier League.

Then you scored the equalizer. To what extent did that goal change the atmosphere inside and outside the stadium? Did you feel it personally?

Yes, the feeling was very clear. When you're playing an early 12:30 kick-off at home and you're trailing, there's a lot you need to do, a lot you need to fix and reshape. The energy and spirit on the pitch are an extremely crucial part of that.

After we scored that goal, we immediately produced an incredible response. You could clearly feel the reaction from the fans in the stands; the energy of the entire stadium changed instantly. The substitutes also played a huge role, greatly helping us to eventually win the match.

The three consecutive substitutions after the equalizer certainly had a huge impact. What did you see from the players who came off the bench that truly changed the situation? What did you hope they would bring?

First, we injected strong leadership qualities with those three substitutions. We brought goal threat and players who could win duels—because the game at that point was very intense with targeted man-marking pressure. We needed players who could escape that marking, move the ball forward, and break the opponent's high press. All three made incredibly excellent contributions after coming on.

The winning goal was also a very beautiful team effort, with a substitute scoring the winner and Declan Rice providing that clever assist. What do you think of it?

That was truly outstanding. The players made unpredictable runs into different spaces, the timing was perfect, their connection and understanding with each other was excellent, and the tactical execution was exquisite. It was absolutely a beautiful goal.

Next Tuesday night, you'll face Lens in the Champions League. After the previous loss and the international break, how important is this comeback victory for you heading into the next phase?

Yes, after a bad result followed by a two-week international break without our players, you naturally question what form will look like next. But we produced an extremely good response today. We really need to enjoy this victory because we're increasingly aware of how competitive the Premier League will be this season. Now we need to immediately refocus, because next Tuesday we face another crucial tough battle.

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