LONDON, September 26 (Reuters) – The sound of cheerful Arsenal fans chanting his name must have been music to Mikel Arteta’s ears after his young side swept away London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a 3-1 victory Sunday.

Weeks after some fans asked the Spaniard to have the door opened after a disastrous start to the Premier League season, Arteta appears to have turned the tables.

Three straight defeats, in which they conceded nine goals without scoring, left the 13-time England champions at the bottom of the table at the end of August – their worst start in 67 years.

A few 1-0 wins over Norwich City and Burnley stabilized the ship, but Sunday’s invigorating display thrilled fans as Arsenal climbed above Spurs in the table.

And while there is nothing exciting about 10th place, they seem to be heading in the right direction as Tottenham, whose season is a mirror image, are on the downswing.

Arteta has spoken in detail about rebuilding a squad for the future and about exciting young talents such as Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka, Ben White and Kieran Tierney, Arsenal fans have real hope for brighter things to come. to come.

Some of their football in a dynamic first half was sensational as goals from Smith Rowe, captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Saka swept through an apathetic Tottenham side.

Fans reacted to create a dynamic atmosphere that hadn’t been heard in the Emirates for a long time.

“This victory is for the fans. They were there when we needed their support. We started very strong and were determined. In the second half we had to do what we had to do,” said Arteta.

“It’s a special day. Today is an example of what we want to do. But we have to be consistent.

“We had great determination, great energy and great quality. I really enjoyed that. I see the confidence the players have in what we do. They have the quality to put it into practice.”

Smith Rowe, 21, characterized the energy in Arsenal’s ranks by scoring the first goal and then setting the second for Aubameyang, while Saka, 20, continues to look a gem.

“It’s probably the happiest day of my life. Having my family here too is a special feeling,” said Smith Rowe.

“I feel like we’ve worked so hard. We’ve had a tough start to the season. I feel like it’s going really well right now, but we have to keep our heads up.”

Reporting by Martyn Herman; edited by Clare Fallon

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