Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reacts to their 0-0 UEFA Champions League draw with Atalanta in which goalkeeper David Raya performed heroics to save a point
Bergamo, Italy
Bergamo, Italy
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00:00After a good first half by yours and after the penalty save by Raya, did you expect something
00:23more by your team in the second half?
00:27Yes, I think we started the game really well, the first 20-25 minutes. We read their approach
00:32very good, I think we played especially with the ball in the right areas with the right
00:37intention and we were effective on them without creating too many clear cut chances. After
00:42that we lost control of the game because we were very inconsistent with the ball, giving
00:47a lot of simple balls away.
00:49That against a team that are man to man obviously, because you transition moments, because the
00:52moment you lose your man there is space and you are in equal numbers in the back line
00:57or overloaded.
00:58Defensively we didn't suffer, that's the reality, but obviously after the second half
01:03we get a penalty away and I witnessed two of the best saves that I've probably seen
01:08in my career with David, two saves from that moment. After that the game continued in the
01:14same way that after the first 25 minutes, very inconsistent with the ball, we had moments
01:22but we never got it into dominance or threat and then we had a big chance from Guy Martinelli
01:27to win the game, that unfortunately didn't go in. So a lot to improve.
01:41Do you feel that he's almost got a new way of being this season? Maybe the fact that
01:47Ramsdell has gone, he is the man, there's none of that stuff from last season. Is that
01:52liberating for him?
01:53That's a question for him but certainly last year was already very impressive and really
01:58good, even with a different context for sure. But this season he's started exceptional.
02:04I think the save that he made against Villa today kept us in the game, that's the reality
02:10and you need that for your keeper at this level. I'm really happy that he's in the
02:15form that he's in at the moment.
02:21Do you think he's the best goalkeeper in the world right now, is there a better goalkeeper
02:25than him right now?
02:26I don't know. I haven't seen all the goalkeepers but at the moment he's been exceptional for
02:31us, that's for sure.
02:32At the end I noticed you were telling the players to calm down rather than trying to
02:35go forward and get the win. Is that a lesson learnt from last year in Porto where it was
02:39nil-nil tight, maybe not playing your best and then lost it in the last second. Is that
02:42a lesson you've learnt from last season?
02:43It's a really tricky game emotionally to play because you are all man-orientated so every
02:47action counts in your emotions. When we had certain moments that it didn't go our way
02:55I could sense it. The team was a little bit about to lose, especially the discipline that
03:00this requires. I think we showed more maturity than last year. We could not see a way tonight
03:06to win it, at least don't lose it. But it's not certainly the message I want to send to
03:11the team.
03:13Is there any concern heading into City that the attack isn't flowing as well as it has
03:24been last season, the start of this season? No goal from open play now in two games.
03:31We want to improve in certain areas but in order to do that the simple thing has to be
03:35much better. We never got in the right distances, in the right relationship when we did two
03:41or three times. You need the fourth pass against Man to Man in order to open them up
03:45and get the ball to the areas that they really suffer, like we did a couple of times. But
03:49you need to do it much more consistently if you want the team to flow because if not it's
03:53constantly that flow is breaking and we make it very difficult because on top of that you
03:58don't travel together so then you're not in the right areas as well to apply pressure
04:02in the way that we are so effective to do. So there are obviously things to improve.
04:08Last season it was nil-nil at the Etihad. Do you feel as though this season you need
04:12to go that one step further, show that initiative to really lay down a marker in this title
04:16race?
04:17For sure. We're going to prepare the game to win, that's for sure, like we've done tonight.
04:21And that's been the message already. In order to do that there are going to be things that
04:25we're going to have to do much better than tonight and some things that we've done exceptionally
04:29well tonight do them as well because we're going to have the performance that we all
04:33know to beat them.
04:38Is there anything you're going to do especially to prepare for tonight's game?
04:45Well, we always look at the individual as the biggest strength that they have and how
04:51we can nullify that and expose any areas that we can, that's for sure. Like, no difference.
04:57And just something on the two central defenders that have been outstanding this season. Do
05:01you think that they're among the best partnership in the world? Do you think that they can continue
05:07this form?
05:08Well, I think they're in a great moment. I think they've been best in the last two seasons
05:12together. There is an unbelievable chemistry there, you can sense it, and it gave us a
05:16lot because tonight I thought that they were both exceptional as well.
05:19Hi, Mikel, on Sunday we'll see obviously Gabriel and Saliba take on Haaland again. In the last
05:25three times between the two match-ups Haaland hasn't scored. Isn't that such a key match-up
05:30and is it key to obviously keep Haaland at bay again?
05:34Well, when you see the stats and the amount of goals that he scores, certainly it's one
05:38of the main things and one of the main sources that you want to stop if you don't want to
05:42concede goals.
05:43And with Jesus, we saw him return, he started tonight. What kind of role could he play this
05:47weekend against his old team, Man City?
05:50Well, the same as the others. Be ready, be in the best possible condition because we're
05:54going to need everybody in that kind of game. Last year he started there and he did a really
06:00good performance and we need everybody fit and available.
06:04And finally to Mikel.
06:05Hi, Mikel. Just in relation to that point about chances in these two games, obviously
06:09people will focus on Martin, but with some of this tactical, given it was away games
06:14against two pressing teams, are you concerned about that at all?
06:18About, sorry?
06:19About maybe the lack of chances in open play?
06:22Yeah, we want to generate more for sure. That's no question. I was very open discussing that.
06:27But the chances have to be created because the process has to be good and it's been very
06:32intermittent and that's what we need, consistency.
06:35OK, everyone. Good night.