Arsenal will be better for the lessons learned in their late 2-1 Premier League victory over Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Sunday according to coach Mikel Arteta, who praised the fighting spirit he believes can take his team to the title.
Arsenal trailed until the 84th minute following a frustrating afternoon in which it looked as though they would come away from Tyneside with nothing.
But late headed goals from Mikel Merino and Gabriel secured three points that lifted Arsenal to second place in the table, two points behind Liverpool, and provided a huge boost in confidence for the team.
"We fully deserved the win," Arteta told Sky Sports. "The way we played and performed and competed. The chances we generated. We did it in a dramatic way but we deserved to win.
"The courage, the determination and the quality we played with today. We want to achieve the next level and to do that you have to come to these places and show that conviction and desire to do it."
Arsenal were frustrated by missed opportunities, excellent goalkeeping from Newcastle’s Nick Pope and a Video Assistant Referee recommendation to overturn a penalty award with the score at 0-0 after Viktor Gyokeres appeared to be fouled.
Arteta, not for the first time, was left incensed and bemused by the VAR intervention.
"If it is not a clear and obvious error, VAR should not intervene. It is clear that VAR does not have to intervene because it is a penalty," Arteta said of the incident.
But those kind of set-backs only make the victory sweeter.
"That is how you get to a different level. By going through those moments and take those lessons from it. It was a massive opportunity to show who we are.
"You have to come to this place and you have to win. You have to find a way to do it and it was tremendous."