“We are not used to that” - Arteta reveals how power cut affected Arsenal’s performance against Leeds

Arsenal defeated Leeds United 1-0 thanks to a goal by Bukayo Saka to their ninth win of the season and extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to four points.

However, the game was delayed and then suspended for a bizarre reason due to a power surge one minute after kickoff.

The power cut affected the match officials' communication gear, the VAR and goal-line technology, leading to a temporary suspension which Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was not happy about.

“Obviously, you go to the MLS, this is very common. When we were in pre-season there, the game can get delayed because time distance for three hours, five hours, before play restarts,” Arteta said. 

“Here, we are not used to that, and we had to adapt to it and give them time to resolve the issue. But it was important because VAR was really important and it would have made the game different,” the Spanish manager continued.

When asked if it was hard to retain focus, Arteta responded, “100%. I think we were all concerned about that, because they have a certain routine and that disrupted the routine. But again, a different context, adapt and find a way to win.”

The Arsenal manager did admit that it was a tough game for his side and was delighted to pick up a result under difficult circumstances.

“It's always really tough coming here, when you see the results that happened here earlier in the season. So again, extremely happy because we keep winning, and you have to be able to win in any context. And you know, it was very different today, and we found a way to win it,” Arteta said.