Press conference

Arteta - David Luiz has been phenomenal

David Luiz Arteta

Mikel Arteta never doubted David Luiz's powers of recovery - and they were on show at Wembley in our Emirates FA Cup semi-final win.

Our Brazilian defender's last encounter with Manchester City was short-lived and memorable for all the wrong reasons after an individual error that cost us a goal and a foul that earned City a penalty and himself a red card.

Fast forward a month and David Luiz was doing as much as anyone to keep City at bay at Wembley. It was a towering performance and Arteta was full of praise.

"This is part of football, you can go down but I didn't have any doubts about David's reaction," he said.

"He held his hands up after that [City] game and he didn't have to do that because we all make mistakes. The way he has been training and helping others has been phenomenal and I am delighted that people can now see this side of him as well and praise him because he deserves it.

"He has won everything in different countries so he brings that [experience] with him. Not only that but I want him to perform on the pitch and he is doing that again in a really good way and I'm really happy for him today.

"David doesn't need a lot of management," added Arteta. "What he needs is that we trust him and we don't doubt what he can do.

"The best way to do that is to make him play. He can say that throughout his career he has had some difficult moments and some incredible moments, but big athletes go through those moments and I'm happy that he's at the level he's playing now."

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