Sat Oct 05 15:17:04 UTC 2024: ## Arsenal Manager Arteta Delighted with PSG Win, Praises Havertz and Merino

**London, England** – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his satisfaction following his side’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta highlighted the team’s dominance in the first half, praising the performance of Kai Havertz and the impact of debutant Mikel Merino.

“Especially the way we played the first half and how determined and brave we were, the quality we showed again against this kind of opponent and be so dominant, score the two goals,” Arteta said regarding his team’s performance. He also acknowledged the challenges posed by PSG’s second-half adjustments but was pleased with the overall result.

Havertz, who scored a brilliant goal, received high praise from Arteta: “So powerful but as well so intelligent. The way he occupies the spaces, the way he connects everything together, his work ethic and now he’s around the box and you have the feeling that he’s going to score a goal.”

Merino, making his debut after a recent injury, impressed Arteta: “He joined us and first session he got injured. He had only one session with us, he was ready, he was really willing to be part of this today and obviously with the injuries and changes we had to make, we believe that he was the player that could help us in that phase. I think he’s done really well.”

While acknowledging the early stage of the Champions League campaign, Arteta remained focused on the team’s performance and their upcoming Premier League matches. He emphasized the significance of this win in boosting the squad’s confidence and belief in their ability to compete at the highest level.

The victory over PSG serves as a strong statement of Arsenal’s ambitions in Europe, a sentiment shared by Arteta: “I think it raises the confidence and belief that we can compete with any team at that level in European competitions, with the style of games that are very different to the Premier League. I think we showed a lot of maturity in the way we played and we put our stamp on the way that we want to behave in Europe against top teams and I really like that.”

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