In the Champions League group stage, Arsenal defeated Lille 3-0 at home. Following the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was interviewed by TNT Sports.

Reporter: Mikel, your team successfully completed the task in the end. In the second half, it was clear the team significantly increased the pace and shifted gears. What message did you give the players at halftime?

Arteta: We made some tactical adjustments—one for attacking and one for defending. But the most important thing was that we needed to improve the quality of our technical execution. In a competition like the Champions League, every team's overall organization is very tight. In the first half, we lost some simple possession, our first touch was poor, and our timing in combinations was off.

When we brought the ball into the penalty box, the passes weren't ideal, which allowed our opponents to create chances. Especially after we lost the ball on the right wing, they launched a counter-attack down their left side. After we improved in that area, we regained possession after pressing and started to penetrate the opposition's penalty box. Getting chances in those areas, with the quality of our individual players, naturally created the difference.

Reporter: Tonight, the depth of your squad again made a huge contribution to the goals, with substitute players making an immediate impact. How valuable is it for you to be able to rely on squad depth to turn difficult matches around or inject quality at crucial moments?

Arteta: Yes, our starting players also deserve great credit; we made many dangerous runs into dangerous positions, but some passes didn't reach the next teammate accurately. What made Timber's goal different was that he burst forward at high speed from a defensive blind spot, received the ball with a shot, and it was a clinical finish. It was a beautiful pass, perfect timing, and Timber's finish was absolutely brilliant. In top-level competition, these details determine the outcome. And the players who came off the bench to finish the match were also outstanding. They raised the intensity and quality of our play, and our sustained pressure made it increasingly difficult for our opponents to deal with.

Reporter: Regarding your starting lineup—for example, Timber's return from injury with carefully managed playing time, and some players who came back late in the summer—is the value of giving valuable playing time to these players today even greater than the performances of some of your starting players themselves?

Arteta: Yes, but they earned playing time because they deserve it. Everyone who stepped onto the pitch tonight got their minutes through their performances. They then need to keep competing, because everyone can see the fierce competition within the squad and the team's depth, which will only benefit our competitive standards and hopefully produce the ideal results.

Reporter: This victory tonight was perhaps expected—how much of a boost is this win for you heading into the difficult away match this weekend?

Arteta: Yes, expectations are one thing, but winning in the Champions League is never easy. They are a very good team, and I think the level Davide Ancelotti is showing with this team is commendable. Wins always help; the team's morale will definitely be very good tomorrow, and we'll be fully preparing for Sunday's match.

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