Hull boss Jakirovic hails Arsenal as 'best in the league' after Emirates defeat
Arsenal are the “best in the league with their attacking third combinations,” according to Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic, after his side were edged out 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Hull, who have beaten Manchester United and held Chelsea to a 2-2 draw since returning to the Premier League, came within 20 minutes of holding Arsenal to a draw in north London. Their resistance was finally broken when captain Martin Odegaard reacted quickest after goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis spilled a shot from Noni Madueke.
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From that moment, Hull could not fashion a chance to threaten an equaliser, and their winless run has now stretched to eight games. They are, however, guaranteed to start the international break out of the relegation zone.
Jakirovic's verdict
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Jakirovic praised his players' effort and tactical discipline despite the result, saying he had no complaints given how long Hull managed to keep Arsenal at bay.
“I'm very proud of the way the lads performed, the way they played and the way they fought,” Jakirovic said. “It is not easy against this Arsenal team because they have high quality in every position, but from the beginning we tried to press them whenever it was possible.
“We changed our system a bit and put a third midfield player in there to make us a little bit more narrow because Arsenal do everything to try and overload the midfield, plus we would have Ajayi and Mendy to jump out to cover any players in the pockets of space in between which they did.
“We were aggressive and played on the front foot and gave Arsenal less time on the ball, but of course they still have the quality to get through that and they're the best in the league with their attacking third combinations.
“To get something more from the game we needed to be better with the ball and to make better decisions, especially with our counter attacks. But really I cannot complain about anything my players did out there because if we are to grow we can learn from these games and moments and improve for the games to come.
“We could maybe do better with the goal, not necessarily from the initial shot but in terms of reacting to the second ball.”
A hard fought win for Arsenal
The victory, while narrow, continued Arsenal's strong domestic form and came against a Hull side that had already shown they are capable of causing problems for bigger opponents this season. Odegaard's instinctive finish proved decisive on a day when Arteta's side were made to work for breakthrough moments against a well organised, compact defensive setup.
Arsenal now head into the international break having found a way past a stubborn Hull outfit, with the attacking cohesion praised by Jakirovic likely to be a continued focus as the season progresses.
