Arsenal went into their Premier League clash against West Ham knowing they needed to pick up the points having gone nine games without a win. The Gunners were abject in the first half, however, with Angelo Ogbonna giving the home side a deserved lead. But goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made it a good evening for Arsenal who, finally, have reason to cheer.
And, speaking after the game, Aubameyang revealed how Ljungberg inspired the win.
“We feel good. I think we played well in the second half so we are happy to win this game,” the Gunners captain said after the showdown at the London Stadium.
“We tried to put some tempo in the game and to play fast and find spaces, and we did that.
“At half-time, Freddie [Ljunberg] told us to play with a higher tempo.
“It was tough but we have the quality in the squad, and if we believe in ourselves, we can go forward and win games.
“Freddie is a young coach and he is always there for us, which is what we need.”
While Arsenal were jubilant after the display, West Ham star Declan Rice admitted to being heartbroken.
“That pretty much sums up our 16 games,” the England international said.
“First half we went 1-0 up and were frustrating them. Then second half they score two in six minutes. It is frustrating. We’ve missed a chance to move up the table.
“It is heartbreaking. We are in the rubbish at the moment. When one goes in we need to learn to keep our heads up.
“They have great players but they are all preventable goals. We need to look at ourselves. We are making the same mistakes. We are playing good football as well but making too many mistakes.
“We have to win our home games. It is horrible to hear the boos. We want to make the fans happy. But we have lost big games here. Now is the time to stay together. Games come thick and fast and we need to regroup.
“The manager is great, the players love the manager. We work hard all week and sometimes you wonder why we can’t transfer that to the pitch.”