The Football Faithful
·20 February 2020
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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·20 February 2020
Alexandre Lacazette scored the only goal of the game in Greece as Arsenal seized a 1-0 win over Olympiakos, though Mikel Arteta admitted that he is wanting his side to gain more control in future games.
It was a game that was looking like being yet another draw under Arteta’s stewardship, though Alexandre Lacazette’s 81st minute tap in from a Bukayo Saka cross handed the Gunners a crucial away win to put them in control of their last 32 tie.
However, the Greek hosts were on top for large parts of the game, and speaking afterwards, Arsenal boss Arteta admitted his side were made to suffer, while saying he wants to improve his sides ability to ‘control the game and damage the opponent’.
“It’s a really good result. First of all to win away in Europe but to come to a ground like this and win, credit to the lads,” Arteta told BT Sport.
“We suffered for the first 10 minutes, we gave the ball away too much and couldn’t get any continuity in our play. In the second half, apart from the set pieces, we controlled the game much better.
“We could have put the tie in a better position. We had positions and chances where we’d expect the players to put the ball in the net.
“We’re going game-by-game. There are a lot of things we want to improve. I still see things that mean we can’t control the game and damage the opponent. But we are playing with a lot of commitment. We had three players with cramp, struggling at the end.”
Arsenal return to action on Sunday, hosting in-form Everton at the Emirates, both sides looking to secure European football for next season.