Arsenal is looking to use their pre-season loss against Tottenham as motivation for the upcoming Premier League season. Midfielder Mikel Merino emphasized that the defeat, despite being a friendly, will serve as fuel for the team's ambitions.
In a historic match, the first between the two North London rivals held outside of England, Tottenham secured a 1-0 victory. Pape Sarr's stunning goal just before halftime proved to be the difference. Though Tottenham dominated the first half, Arsenal showed improvement after the break.
Arsenal's pre-season continues with matches against LaLiga teams Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao. The Gunners will then face Manchester United in their Premier League opener on August 17. The team has finished second in the league for the past three seasons and hopes to finally claim the top spot this year.
Despite the loss, Merino said that the game provided valuable lessons, stating, "It's not the result we wanted...winning is a priority for us, but in pre-season, there are other things that have a lot of value, like getting fit, keeping that connection with the fans here in this amazing city."
He further added, "We adapted quickly to the pitch, to the opponent. I think we dominated most of the game. The result is obviously the worst part, but we have to take the positives...this feeling is going to be the gasoline for the season to keep growing, keep learning and hopefully go upwards."
Manager Mikel Arteta also expressed satisfaction with the team's overall tour, despite the defeat. New signings Viktor Gyokeres and Cristhian Mosquera made their debuts during the match, and Arteta praised their immediate impact.
Arteta said, "[The new signings] attitude and especially the quality that they have has been incredible, so very pleased. As I said, a lot of great things to take from this tour...The incredible camaraderie that we had between the players and the staff, and how I think everyone values where we are."
