The Spanish midfielder says that three days away from the intensity of the Premier League with his family helped him to focus while other players were on international duty
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta says a three-day break for players not on international duty helped the team to find form in their 4-1 victory over Reading.
The Spaniard scored a penalty in the win at the Emirates Stadium, and says that the time they had to relax with their families was needed to focus their minds on the task at hand.
“We had three days to get some time with the family and relax our minds from football,” Arteta told the club’s official website.
“[After the break] we trained really hard in the last week and this week as well. And I think we played very well [against Reading].
“We had a really high tempo right from the start. I think we had a lot of good combinations around the box. We looked lively.
“In the first half, we could have killed the game. After the third goal, I think the game was over.
“We had two games with a clean sheet and I don’t think they had any chances apart from [Hal Robson-Kanu’s goal].
“That was a bit disappointing but, overall, we played a very good game. We were in control and we played some really good football.
“We’re on a very good run in the Premier League. We have to keep going. We know that we’re depending on other results, so let’s see what happens.”