There was a lot to talk about after an eventful, historic win against Sporting CP in Lisbon on Tuesday.

In his post-match press conference, Mikel Arteta was asked about the performance, his ruthlessness, the impact of the win, Gabriel’s fitness and more.

Here’s everything he had to say…

About tonight’s five star performance…

I don’t think they have lost a game in 18 months, especially against the opponent we played in their home game. They were in top form, they did it better than anyone they played here, so it’s very pleasing to play at the level, with the determination, the goal and the fluidity that we showed today.

On the way we played…

Yes, well, it’s true that the result varies a lot depending on the performance and also the intensity of the opponent we played against Inter. I was so happy with what I saw and I knew good things would happen in Europe along the way. Today we managed to repeat that and be even more efficient in the opposition half. And I’m very happy because the team played so courageously and because they’re so good. and when I saw them live I realized how good they are.

At Martin Odegaard’s exhibition…

Yes, that was him again, I think all the boys were exceptional today, if it wasn’t for the dominant performance and the result we got in this game today, they were all exceptional.

About wanting to be more ruthless…

Yes, because you can’t speculate and after 39, 40 minutes we had a phase where we started doing that and I had to stop because that’s the tendency that the team is going for, to control it.

We’re not good at that. Unfortunately, they scored a goal very early in the second half, which provided some momentum. But we handled it really well. As I said, it was a great performance, a great win and we are really happy.

If this is a statement, you win…

Certainly the performance was there a few times and when we played against big teams, when we played against PSG we were exceptional and when we played against Bayern we were exceptional and some mistakes cost us. Now it’s Inter, now it’s this level, this is the level we have to deal with and you have to do it, then it creates confidence, then the players will be better prepared for the next game. We need this consistency because the ability to do so is there.

What has changed since the international break…

A lot, because we trained with 11-12 players for a long time, so they couldn’t train and play, and then suddenly almost everyone is fit and available. It’s true that we still look after certain players, but their level is increasing. I have no doubt we have the right skills, we will be a really good team.

About Gabriel’s fitness…

We don’t know because he said he was feeling a bit unwell so I wanted to substitute Ras (Raheem Sterling) but I couldn’t make the substitution and we had to substitute others.

On Partey’s form this season…

I agree with you, I think it’s one of the best performances I’ve ever seen from him, especially the way he dominated the game, so that’s the level he can play at, he is making progress. He’s been so consistent this year too because he’s always playing a role, that’s a big deal, he’s a huge player for us.

On the way to victory…

We were so good, you have to be so good in every way and we also suffered in many moments of the game, but we were so effective and efficient when we started attacking the position and that was a big difference today.