Tribal Football

Walcott: Arsenal play with the personality of Arteta

Paul Vegas
Walcott: Arsenal play with the personality of Arteta
Walcott: Arsenal play with the personality of ArtetaAction Plus
Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott says the current team plays with the personality of manager Mikel Arteta.

Walcott was speaking after Arsenal achieved the home and away winning double in their Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid.

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He told BBC Sport: "Mikel Arteta has built this Arsenal team from his mind and his connections with each individual talent in that team, and he's built them to be one mind.

"When I say one mind, I mean he's so serious and some people say he's too serious, but everyone's on the same path as him. And that's why I think their aura is him.

"That's the difference about Arsenal, they don't have the players with the big egos. They're a team and I think Arteta takes it away from the team. I think its a good thing."

Walcott also had a word for Bukayo Saka, who shone despite having a 13th minute penalty saved by Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

He added: "He typified it from start to finish because he had a night where it could've gone the other way for him but, for me, he is such a resilient character in that dressing room."