Mikel Arteta said that Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Newcastle United on Sunday was driven by vengeance after seeing a clip of the match's agonizing loss from the previous season.
The visitors earned a crucial victory that reduces Manchester City's advantage at the top to one point despite having played one more game thanks to goals from Martin Odegaard in the 14th and Fabian Schar in the 75th minute.
Last May, Newcastle defeated Arsenal 2-0 on a disastrous night that effectively killed the Gunners their chance of qualifying for the Champions League. The aftermath of the game was captured on video for Amazon's "All or Nothing" documentary on the Gunners' season.
In a squad meeting earlier on Sunday, the players watched the match again. According to Arteta, this served as the impetus for their far better performance on Tyneside.
He replied, "We had to experience it. "Talking about it wasn't enough; we also needed to feel it, see it, and know our own faces not just for the players, but also for the staff. Football is that. No of the outcome, we had to make up for feeling as though we hadn't done enough on the day.
"I couldn't see their faces since I was watching the video. You don't need to be brilliant to recognize it. The word was "pain," followed by the want to exact retribution. They probably had it in their stomachs today.
"You must answer any questions that are left unanswered right soon. The feelings we had in that changing room last year must be relieved to understand how unpleasant they are and devise a new strategy for the game because the stakes were higher this time around.
"I'm so proud of the boys because they did that well."
Aaron Ramsdale, the custodian, personified Arsenal's tenacity by producing several incredible saves at pivotal times. The collective memory of what transpired in Newcastle the previous year, he claimed, had been a major motivator.
Ramsdale described his feelings as "immense pride and relief, especially after what happened here last year." It was not brought up until the meeting just before we checked out of the hotel. When the manager played the documentary's film for us, we fervently hoped that things would have changed since then.
Although Real Madrid will play City in a two-legged Champions League semifinal commencing on Tuesday, City still maintains the edge at the top of the table. Arteta hailed a win that would increase the pressure on their championship rivals.
"[It shows] that we are there, and that we want to keep digging," Arteta continued. "The reward is nearby and is there. The only thing we can do is continue to persist and not give up or divert our attention to anything else. Be resolute each and every day. Let's continue and see what transpires.