Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has fiercely defended his team selection after his side's 2-1 Europa League semi-final first leg defeat away to Villarreal on Thursday.
Arteta fielded Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka at left-back while he also started without a recognised striker, with Emile Smith Rowe in the most advanced role and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang coming off the bench.
The Gunners went behind 2-0 after half an hour and were reduced to 10 men after Dani Ceballos' 57th minute sending off.
But Arsenal pulled a goal back from Nicolas Pepe's 73rd minute spotkick after Bukayo Saka was tripped inside the box claiming a precious away goal.
"It's the way we prepared for the game," the Spaniard said at the post-game press conference about his selection decisions.
"It's the decision that I made, thinking that it was the best way to play, but the game was conditioned after four minutes so it was difficult to assess whether it would work or not.
"Conceding from the set piece as well also changed it and after, we had to approach it in a different way."
He added: "Obviously when you lose you always get [selection] wrong.
"When we won 4-0 away from home against Slavia Prague, they didn’t lose a home game in three years and Granit played so well, he was incredible playing there but I know that when it doesn’t happen, it’s always going to point there."
Arsenal will host Villarreal in London next Thursday with a spot in the decider on the line, against either Manchester United or Roma, with Arteta delighted with their away goal after their early deficit.
"It changes completely the tie obviously, and it makes a huge difference and we know that we have to be better than we were for 95 minutes," Arteta said.
"If we don’t do that then we won’t have the chance to be in the final."
He added: "After the story of the game, I think we have to take it because in the tie we are alive and in the circumstances that developed during the game, it put the game and the tie in real danger at some stages."
Arsenal must continue to be the 'masters' of set-pieces, says Arteta
Arsenal must continue to be the "masters" of set-pieces after Mikel Arteta earned his 150th victory in charge of the Gunners.
Arteta's landmark win arrived as Arsenal beat United 2-0 on Wednesday.
After being frustrated in the first half, two goals from two corner routines from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba after the break sealed an important 2-0 victory for Arsenal.
Arsenal have now scored more goals from corners (22) than any other team in the Premier League since the start of last season. 10 of those have opened the scoring, which is also a division-high total across that period.
The Gunners also had more shots from corners (seven) than they did from open play (six) against United, while also having 13 corners in the game without reply from the visitors.
"I hope they don't," Arteta said when asked how opposition teams have not found a way to stop his side's set-piece routines.
"We want to have the ability to score from every phase of play. It's something that has worked, and the more resources you have it makes it more difficult for your opponent.
"We were very efficient with our set-pieces when we were not efficient with our chances inside the box and in open play. But we won the game, so we are happy.
"We are the masters today, but we have to continue to work and continue to be the masters."
Wednesday's result also saw Arsenal record a fourth consecutive league victory against United for the first time in their history.
They have also won each of their last four home league games against the Red Devils, which is their longest such run since April 1978 (seven in a row).
Despite the win, Arsenal dropped to third in the standings after Chelsea's 5-1 thrashing of Southampton, but they were able to close the gap to leaders Liverpool.
Arne Slot's side dropped points in an enthralling 3-3 draw with Newcastle United, though Declan Rice, on the back of making his 50th Premier League appearance for Arsenal said it was too soon for title talk.
"It's good, but people get carried away with the title talk. I was involved in my first one last year, "Rice told Amazon Prime.
"You need to be in and around it by February. It's too early to be calling what's going on. Liverpool dropped points. What are they, 10 above?
"Oh seven, it's closer, but still a long way to go, we just need to keep believing in ourselves."
Arteta echoed Rice's thoughts, saying: "I didn't know they had dropped points as I was so happy celebrating in the dressing room. We got that news, but it is difficult to win this league. It is still very early."
Up next for Arteta's side is a trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham on Sunday before returning to the Emirates to face Monaco in the Champions League.
Amorim acknowledges set-pieces killed Man Utd in Arsenal defeat
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim put his first Premier League defeat since taking charge down to their set-piece shortcomings.
United were beaten 2-0 away to Arsenal on Wednesday, having initially held out through a goalless first half.
They were eventually undone by two corner routines, while the hosts came close to adding a third in similar fashion through Mikel Merino.
Amorim's side, meanwhile, failed to convert their own set-piece chances after seeing a Matthijs de Ligt header brilliantly saved by David Raya.
"The set-pieces changed the game, we could have been more aggressive towards the Arsenal box. Until the set-pieces, the game didn't have too many opportunities for both sides, the set-pieces killed the game," Amorim told BBC Match of the Day.
"They can put a lot of players near the goalkeeper and it's almost impossible to fight for the ball, but we have to manage to defend them and we already know we have to be better.
"We were committed and we lost to the set-pieces. If Matthijs can score in that moment, the momentum would be different.
"We tried to play, but they are a very organised team and it's hard to score. I felt the players were in control of the game, the set-pieces changed the game in the second half."
Manchester United defender De Ligt was in agreement with his manager, suggesting they performed well defensively aside from the goals conceded.
"In the defensive phase, the amount of chances we conceded without the set-plays [was good]," he told MUTV. "In the end, we played a little bit more offensive and conceded some chances at the end.
"But in general, we have to – and we will – offensively improve. We need to know what everyone is doing and we could have hurt them much more.
"We're still quite early with the new coach, but there are still positives. Overall, I'm really disappointed with the lack of points."
Their trip to the Emirates Stadium marked Amorim's fourth game in charge in all competitions. De Ligt is conscious that he has had little time and is sure improvements will come.
"We're on the road to improve as a team and I think the manager said it also. Maybe if we do it a certain way we have a bigger chance of getting results right now," he said.
"I think the way we are going now is obviously not perfect yet and everybody has to improve a lot and get used to the new system, but you can see certain things that are improving."
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United: Gunners hand Amorim first defeat
Goals from two corner routines handed Ruben Amorim his first Premier League defeat as Manchester United were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
After being frustrated in the first half by United, the hosts found the breakthrough when Jurrien Timber glanced Declan Rice’s corner beyond Andre Onana in the 54th minute.
Arsenal doubled their lead in similar fashion, this time from the opposite side when Bukayo Saka’s back-post delivery was headed back across by Thomas Partey, with William Saliba providing the finishing touch.
Kai Havertz almost put the hosts further in front but was thwarted by Onana, with substitute Mikel Merino also nearly scoring from another corner moments later.
Despite victory, Arsenal drop to third after Chelsea’s 5-1 thrashing of Southampton, but they closed the gap to leaders Liverpool to seven points, while United are 11th.
Data Debrief: Corner Kings
Arsenal are known for the threat they possess from set-pieces, especially corners, and that weapon proved crucial in getting a much-needed win to keep their title hopes alive.
The Gunners have now scored more goals from corners (22) than any other team in the Premier League since the start of last season, with both of their goals on Wednesday coming this way. 10 of those have opened the scoring in a match, which is also a league-high figure in this period.
It was also a happy 50th Premier League appearance for Arsenal for Rice after he notched the assist for the opener. Since the start of last season, no player has recorded more assists from set plays than Rice (seven, level with Saka).
For Amorim, meanwhile, he suffered his first league defeat since December 2023 (Sporting CP 2-3 Vitoria Guimaraes), with the defeat at the Emirates ending a 34-game unbeaten run for the Portuguese coach in league competition (W31 D3).
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