Mikel Arteta congratulated Everton on their new stadium and how quickly the fans have taken to their new waterfront venue, creating an incredible atmosphere.
Arteta, who played for the Toffees for six years between 2005 and 2011, visited Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time on Saturday. Presiding over a 1-0 win for Arsenal, Arteta voluntarily paused the press conference to send the message to his former club.
“Before I leave, guys, I want to congratulate everybody at this football club at Everton, everybody has contributed to building this amazing stadium, because it was incredible to witness, not only the way they’ve done it, the atmosphere that they created, so as an ex-player and someone that supports this club, congratulations to all of them,” Arteta said at the media theatre.
It was Arsenal’s first trip to the Toffees’ new waterfront home. The game was also iconic as the club’s supporter organisation, the 1878s, produced their first display from the stands. A gigantic tifo carried the message ‘On the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey’ as 15,000 fans cheered on in the south stand.