Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta was delighted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s impressive display during pre-season.
The England international caught the eye of many and was the man to watch as Arsenal defeated Chelsea. He delivered top class performances throughout all of the pre-season period and scored the winner in the Community Shield victory, awarding Arsene Wenger his first win ever against Jose Mourinho.
Speaking to Arsenal Player, Arteta hailed his in-form teammate as a unique player who has impressed him. The captain also praised the 21-year-old’s goal against the Blues.
“[The goal was] unbelievable, but Alex can do that every week if he wants to.
“He’s a terrific player, one of the best talents I’ve seen, and he’s got the world open for what he wants to do. It’s up to him.”
The captain also admitted his pride regarding the club’s success, who made their sixth successful successive trip to Wembley and went back home with silverware in their hands. The fact that the win came against Chelsea made this victory even better for Arteta who thanked the fans for their incredible support and gifted them this win.
“To come to Wembley again and get another title under the belt, I think it’s magnificent,” he added. “I think you need to have consideration for the opponents as well.
“It made the day a little bit bigger than usual but we’re delighted for the fans, they gave us unbelievable support here, and for the boys as well, because they worked really hard.”
The Spaniard believes this momentous win will pave the way for a successful season. He also expressed how relieved he was now that his team finally got over their bogey run against the Blues, finally beating them for the first time since 2011.
“It’s very important to win the first title when we had the first chance. We want to be ruthless. I think we have built some momentum and some encouraging expectations. We have to maintain that now and the best way to do that is to keep winning.
“To get those defeats and draws against Chelsea over our heads is going to be really important for the future.”
