ARSENAL caretaker manager Freddie Ljungberg hailed his ‘amazing’ players after they come from behind to seal a stunning win at West Ham.
The Gunners had looked awful for an hour in east London before scoring three goals in just nine minutes to win 3-1.
2
It was the first win in three games of the Ljungberg era.
Teenager Gabriel Martinelli, on his full Premier League debut, opened the scoring, before much-maligned £72million star Nicholas Pepe and skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck.
Ljungberg, whose team are now up to ninth, said: “It means so much for the players. They have been living under enormous pressure and you see it in their performances.
“I could feel West Ham getting tired and our passing getting crisper. The boys did amazing.
“The players responded to the early setbacks and dealt with it. We tried to play and the boys stepped up in the second half. They worked so hard and that’s something we talked about.
“This is down to the players. I’m just there to guide them.
“You can see the players have been a bit low and you see in the dressing room the relief and how happy they are.
“We enjoy tonight and we continue working tomorrow. We have to work on our belief – that was the difference.
“It’s a great feeling and it’s a lot better to win than lose. We shouldn’t get carried away.”
He later added: “The players have belief and tried to move the ball with more tempo. West Ham got tired. The players ran their socks off and fought.
“I believe in them. When I could see them put their shift in I could see the quality. I thought ‘it is here for the taking’.
“Martinelli did amazingly. He is like a Duracell battery, he keeps going. Laca (Alexandre Lacazette) is a tremendous player but I had to make a tough decision.,
“We have a lot to work on. A lot of things to fix.
2
“They have been under a lot of pressure but had the mental strength to win.
“I tried to keep calm and see what was happening on the pitch. They sorted it out themselves.
“It is amazing what they did today. I just want to enjoy the day and then get to work tomorrow.”
