Arteta praises Arsenal players' commitment

CAIRO - 2 January 2020: Arsenal defeated Manchester United 2-0 on Wednesday night to achieve their first win since Mikel Arteta was appointed as the club's new manager.

The team secured their victory thanks to two goals from Nicolas Pepe and Sokratis after an impressive first half from the Gunners.

"Everything we tried to do and planned to do against them worked really well. I think we had enough chances to put the game to bed much earlier. In the second half, we knew that physically we were going to drop," Arteta said after the game.

Arteta, who wore the Gunners' jersey for the last five seasons of his football career, replaced Unai Emery after the team suffered a poor run at the league.

Arteta added, "The commitment and the desire the boys are showing at the moment is terrific. We have to entertain the fans here and hopefully we’ve given them something to be proud of today."

Arsenal, who last appeared at UEFA Champions League competition in 2016, aim to achieve a stunning comeback and secure a spot at the prestigious competition.

Arsenal are having a tough test at the next round when they face their neighbours, Crystal Palace, at Selhurst Park.