Source: Team_Talk
Arteta just happy to avoid loss
Mikel Arteta believes once Everton finally chalk up their first Premier League win of the season, the confidence will return in abundance.[LNB] The Toffees picked up only their second point in four matches in Saturday's 3-3 draw at home to Manchester United but it almost felt like a victory as Tim Cahill and Arteta both scored in injury time.[LNB]But having dominated for most of the first half yet failed to take full advantage, goals from Darren Fletcher, cancelling out Steven Pienaar's 39th-minute opener, Nemanja Vidic and Dimitar Berbatov appeared to have changed the outcome.[LNB]Cahill, with a header, and Arteta, a deflected shot, had other ideas but it was a lucky escape, one which the Spanish midfielder hopes to avoid in the future.[LNB]"We dominated the first 40 minutes and created chances and could have scored more," he said.[LNB]"For a big part of the game we deserved something because we played good football and created chances and we were on top.[LNB]"We did not start the second half good enough, conceding an early goal which made it really difficult for us, and at 3-1 they could have scored two or three more.[LNB]"However, we showed the spirit, character and belief we have here and we deserve a lot of credit to do that against Manchester United.[LNB]"But we need to start winning, scoring early and then dominating the game.[LNB]"I would like to play when we are 2-0 or 3-0 up and be able to enjoy it a little bit because at the moment it looks like we are panicking and chasing and it is not the best.[LNB]"I am sure if we keep doing the right things those games will come.[LNB]"For us this was a big thing because we did not want to lose again, playing at home and against Manchester United."[LNB]Everton started the match without a recognised striker with Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe injured and Aiyegbeni Yakubu and summer signing Jermain Beckford on the bench.[LNB]Arteta admits they are struggling at both ends of the pitch at the moment but believes they can sort out their problems.[LNB]"I think it is just the difference in both boxes - not putting it in the net and making mistakes at the other end," he added.[LNB]"Elsewhere in the game we are doing things well so we just need to get things right.[LNB]"We need to start winning and stop making mistakes because there are more teams in the Premier League with the quality to punish you.[LNB]"Hopefully next Saturday (against Newcastle) we will get three points with another big performance and we can start kicking on."[LNB]Despite the injury problems Arteta said there was a totally different feeling within the squad from last season, when they were ravaged by various problems and did not get into gear until January.[LNB]"We are having problems with injuries again; Louis is injured, Victor is injured and James Vaughan has gone out on loan," he said.[LNB]"We are getting the Yak (Yakubu) back and he did okay when he came on and he is a player we really need because he can put the ball in the net.[LNB]"We need more options up front and I think we lacked a bit of that against United.[LNB]"But I think it has been very different this season. The performances have been much better than last season, or three years ago when we started really slowly."[LNB]Arteta was surprised by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to omit former Toffee Wayne Rooney from his squad after a week of lurid allegations about his private life.[LNB]Ferguson said he was shielding the player from the anticipated abuse from the Goodison crowd but Arteta said the player had coped with it on his previous visits after leaving for Old Trafford six years ago.[LNB]"He is a terrific player and he has shown that many times when he has been here and under pressure he has played well," said the 28-year-old.[LNB]"They made a decision and they made it because they thought it was the best thing to do."
