Arteta on his need to improve every day and his search for perfection
Arteta on his need to improve every day and his search for perfection
16/09/2024
London colney training centre, London, UK
16/09/2024
London colney training centre, London, UK
Transcript
00:00When you play Demacuzan, we asked Xabi Alonso about you. The first thing he said was you
00:07were a competitive animal, so you always have been. I just wondered where does that come
00:13from? The desire to win, how big of a motivator is that for you?
00:19I love everything that I do. I just try to win and try to do it at my best because I'm
00:27happier afterwards. I feel fulfilled and if I'm not able to do it, obviously I'll try
00:31to learn from it and apply things that are going to help me or get me closer to doing
00:36that. That's the way I am.
00:38You've done so much here and improved the club so much, but will you ever be fulfilled
00:43or fully satisfied without winning that league?
00:46I don't know. Obviously if you see no margins and you say I cannot really squeeze a lemon,
00:51there is absolutely nothing there. Maybe one day, but at the moment I don't see it
00:58that way at all. The first one, me.
01:00What more do you need from yourself?
01:03A lot. I think you can evolve a lot if I see what I used to do, what I do, how I see certain
01:10things, how I deal with certain things. I have to improve a lot.
01:15You said that this squad is far from perfection. What does perfection look like to you?
01:22I don't know. An infinite team. It's a team that has no roof, it can play in any context,
01:28dominates the opponent in any circumstance, can play every three days. I don't know.
01:34When you're talking to your squad about competing against someone like Man City, how hard is
01:39it to convey that you need perfection, there can't be any mistakes? Because players are
01:44human and mistakes happen.
01:47The only thing that we can ask ourselves is to be the best version of ourselves and maximise
01:54really that potential. The rest is not in our hands. That one it is. Do I do every single
01:59day the best of my capabilities at the service of the team? I put it and I'm consistent in
02:05any context. That's what we can do. We are a great team. To achieve what? Let's see.
02:13It depends on what others do. It only depends on us.
02:17Progress has been made in the last two seasons. Do you have a trophy in your hand to consider
02:25it more progress?
02:27I would love to. Have to? I don't know. I don't know why you're going to put a knife
02:31on my neck. But I would absolutely love that feeling, yes.
02:36Would it be hard to not have one and think there's still progress?
02:40I don't know. Today I cannot think about that. I have to think about Wolves.
02:46Last season a lot of people pointed to two parts as to whether titles last in terms of
02:51the December three defeats and the loss to Villa in April. With, for example, the December
02:57three defeats, do you think for you guys to go all that to this season it's crucial
03:01that you're consistent every month and there's no slump this time around?
03:07Yes. For sure. There's going to be a moment, a point that we lost there and then you have
03:13to analyse how we lost that game and actually what happened in those games as well.
03:17Do you think there are any factors behind that last time? Obviously after that you went
03:20for the winter break in Dubai, came back and you were back on track again. Was there
03:25anything in particular that maybe contributed to that?
03:28Well, in one of the games after 20 minutes it should be 4-0. That's a big contribution
03:33and we ended up losing 0-2. So, yes, these are the margins.
03:37In terms of, obviously, the kind of work he had, his struggles through the season and
03:41he turned it around by the end. He was one of the all-star players, contributed to many
03:45goals. Do you think the chase is there could be some situation this season where he's obviously
03:49had a tough time with injury? If he's fully fit this time around, do you think he could
03:53maybe have a part in that surprise?
03:56100 per cent. One of the biggest things in this sport is mental toughness and Kai showed
04:03an unbelievable one. On top of that, when you're surrounded by people who love you,
04:08want to put everything that they can to try to help you and make you better, people are
04:14maybe patient as well. You see that that person is so willing after everything is doable
04:20and Gary looks like he really wants it. So, that's the best start.
04:27You mentioned going to a new level. How close do you feel this squad is reaching its full
04:32potential at its peak? Can you do it this season?
04:35I don't see that, no. I don't see that yet.
04:39So, you've got more time?
04:43Sorry, I don't see that we are close to that full potential. I think we're still far.
04:48Just asking to check the title race generally, do you think it's more than just yourselves
04:52and Manchester City? How many teams do you think are going to be there?
04:55I think so. I think it's going to be a really, really competitive league. Some new coaches,
05:01a lot of teams that have strengthened themselves a lot, some others that already have certain
05:07ability and consistency for a few years right now. So, I think it's going to be a really
05:12competitive one, yeah.
05:15There's been reports this week that Man City's hearing could be moved forward to next month.
05:21Is there any danger that could be a distraction for your players, do you think, in that situation?
05:25No, there's nothing to do with us.
05:27Has there been any talk internally about that?
05:31OK, I think we're done.
05:56Sorry, the last part?
05:58The supporters for Arsenal around the Middle East and South America, do you believe that
06:05you've done an amazing job the last two years? What do you come from this season?
06:11Well, try to be better. Take a lot of the things that we did really well and try to
06:17improve them. It's not on me, it's on everybody that is involved in this process.