Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on injuries, the challenge of facing West Ham and the importance of maintaining momentum
Sobha Realty Training Centre, London Colney, UK
Sobha Realty Training Centre, London Colney, UK
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00It's not great news, but I'm hoping it'll be better news this time.
00:04Can you give us any team news for tomorrow?
00:07Not a lot, because we have another training session, we have to see how the boys are today.
00:13I feel they weren't able to train yesterday, but hopefully yes today, so we will have to wait and see.
00:20Gabriel?
00:21Wait and see.
00:22You're not going to give me any other clues?
00:26No, because I can't. No, because I don't want to.
00:28It's been some response since the international break, the victory against Forest, the big win at Sporting.
00:35What does it say about the character of your players?
00:37Did you feel if it had gone away you'd have got your arsehole back?
00:40Well, I don't link character to winning.
00:47This team showed unbelievable character against Inter and we lost,
00:52showed unbelievable character against Chelsea and we were the better team.
00:55We didn't manage to win.
00:57Same players, same intentions, being more efficient and winning matches, that's the difference.
01:03You've got West Ham next, they suddenly look a different proposition after what happened on Monday.
01:09You know their manager pretty well, what kind of relationship do you have with him and what do you make of him as a manager?
01:16I know him, we have friends, I have huge admiration for what he's done in the game.
01:21Obviously, he's from the same area as I am, in the north of Spain.
01:26Obviously, he's a team that is now in a high after the big win they had against Newcastle away.
01:35And he's always a really tough opponent, so we know that.
01:39Liverpool are setting a crazy pace at the top at the moment just now.
01:43Is it almost a feeling you need to be near perfect from now on?
01:48Well, if they continue that way, that's for sure.
01:50The numbers they're producing, the amount of games they are winning,
01:53but again, it's just the focus is on us.
01:55Maintaining the consistency, especially in performances, that's going to give us the right to win a lot of games,
02:03keep the availability in the squad, keep everybody together, and this is a long run.
02:08If you can get that win tomorrow, you can sit back on Sunday.
02:12I've asked you a question about big games before, will you be in front of the TV, will you be watching this game?
02:18100 per cent, it's a big match, a beautiful match to watch.
02:21Two of the best teams in Europe facing each other, competition for us, so, big one.
02:28Do you have a preference on who you want to win?
02:31Yeah, Arsenal tomorrow, that's the preference.
02:34Then we will see something that we cannot control.
02:37Just a final one for me, the next 13 games, aside from any cup draws,
02:42only one is outside London, it's the Brighton game away.
02:46Given the number of fixtures you have during this period,
02:49could that be a positive for us and an advantage?
02:53Well, less travelling is always better.
02:56It is crazy that we have that many games so close to us,
03:02and I think it helps because the amount of games we have to play in that period is very high as well.
03:08Cyril from the Premier League.
03:10Will Sanchenko, Tierney and Calafiuri all seemingly fit for now?
03:14Will we see Miles Lewis, Schelly have any midfield opportunities?
03:18Well, that's an option, obviously he can play in three different positions,
03:22he can play as a holder, he can play as a left-attacking midfielder, so, yeah, gaps for him.
03:26There's a lot of fluidity in your attack, they pass in a lot more triangles on the right-hand side
03:31with Odegaard, Saka, Timber sometimes, compared to the left.
03:36We've seen Havertz and Martinelli get on the end of those passes and crosses,
03:40would you also like to see in the future a little bit more overloading on the left,
03:44or is your plan of attack always going to be overloading on the right?
03:47No, not always in relation to the opponent, it's in relation to the chemistry and the qualities of our players,
03:53and in relation to the opponent we will do different things, yeah.
03:57And you just mentioned you're coming back with a big result against Newcastle,
04:01specifically what you've seen at West Ham so far this season,
04:03what do you think will cause you problems, what have you seen in their strengths and their style of play?
04:08Well, various ways to create big problems,
04:11they are really physical side, really good in direct play, attacking second balls,
04:15when they have to dominate the game through the ball, or they have space,
04:19a really dangerous team, set-pieces, and then individual quality that they have,
04:23the front players can create in any moment, any situation, to cause you trouble,
04:28and they are really well coached.
04:32Alex from the ABC.
04:34Hi.
04:35Before the Northam Forest game you said the players wanted to win more than anyone,
04:40now after a really, really good week, two back-to-back wins,
04:43what's the feeling amongst the players now?
04:45Well, really good obviously, winning lifts the energy, the confidence up,
04:50there were two big wins as well for us, and now it's about consistency,
04:54getting that momentum that we are in,
04:57take it even further against a really good opponent tomorrow,
05:00and try to replicate the performance to win the game.
05:04Does it feel like momentum is building after those two performances?
05:08I think so, but again, this is every three days,
05:11so it doesn't matter what you did yesterday, it's about the next day,
05:14the next performance, how you are able to sustain high-level performances
05:18throughout the games as well, because how competitive every opponent is right now,
05:22and that's what we will try to do tomorrow.
05:25Brad, TalkSport.
05:26Hi, Mika, I'm with QO, I know you've been asked a lot about Martin Odegaard's performances
05:29since he came back into the side, but the level he's playing at,
05:32especially after that injury, is so impressive.
05:35Usually when we see players who have been out injured for a long time,
05:38it takes them a little bit of a period to get back up to speed again,
05:41but what does it say about the level of his performances and his character,
05:44the fact he's come back in and hit the ground running so quickly?
05:48Well, the way he prepared himself, how much work he put in with all the officials,
05:53medical department, to get in the best possible condition,
05:57to face the period and importance of the season that we are in at the moment,
06:02and to hit the ground running.
06:04He was, I think, exceptional since the Chelsea game,
06:07and he's been very consistent the last three games.
06:10For you as a coach, having a player like that in your side
06:13must make your life a little bit more easier in some way.
06:16Yes, I think.
06:17Good players that are so consistent, so reliable,
06:21that can take the game to a different level, make the players better around them.
06:25That's a huge quality of Martin, and yeah, he's been missed.
06:29Williams Lever made 100 appearances for Arsenal in the week,
06:33there might have been a time a couple of years ago when he was out on loan
06:35where some Arsenal fans might have thought they would have seen him in an Arsenal shirt,
06:39but what have you made of his performances and reaching 100 appearances for the club?
06:43At his age, the consistency, the quality of the performances is incredible.
06:48It's not easy, it's a really tricky position to play in this league.
06:52I think he has created a magnificent partnership as well,
06:56and big credit to Big Gabi as well for that,
06:58because I think it's really important for him to be able to play at the level he's done.
07:04And yeah, a great player to have, obviously.
07:07And last one, Timber's performance in the week, really, really impressive.
07:10It must be good for you to have him back down fit,
07:13especially with them injured for a prolonged period of time.
07:16Yes, for sure, and at that level as well, and we know what he can produce.
07:20Again, a player with exceptional qualities, a lot of leadership,
07:25you see the courage and the intention and the purpose that he plays with,
07:30and that's very contagious.
07:32So he's a player that still has many other layers and levels to go,
07:36and I'm very happy to have him.
07:38Simon, Evening Standard.
07:40A question about Raheem, who was obviously going to come on the other night,
07:45just how he reacted to that?
07:47Nothing. A smile on his face, fortunately for me.
07:50It's things that happen in football, unfortunately it happened to him,
07:54and he reacted in the best possible way, which is understanding.
07:58He's been a long time in the game and he knows that this is something that I cannot control.
08:02How do you feel that mood's gone so far?
08:05Maybe we haven't seen him as much as some supporters thought they would.
08:07I would like to see him more, to be fair, and this is down to me.
08:11He's trying his best, his application, his commitment around the team has been exceptional,
08:16and now it's time for me to give him more minutes.
08:19Do you feel like this run now will see where it's the busiest sort of face of the group?
08:22That's the intention, that's why I put him against Forrest,
08:26that's why I wanted to put him against a sports team,
08:28and now get him in that rhythm because he can really impact the team as well.
08:35On the title race in general, City in Europe lost a three-goal lead,
08:41they've not won in six games now.
08:43What have you made of that?
08:45I'm just not used to seeing Man City this vulnerable.
08:49What I've made of it is what they've done for nine years.
08:52I think that's why people have to talk about how difficult it is,
08:55what they've done for nine years consistently.
08:57And, yeah, a bump, everybody has a bump.
09:01For them it's very strange because in nine years they never had it.
09:04But that tells you as well the level and the environment that we are in,
09:07that everything has to be almost perfect.
09:10Performance has to be perfect, availability of your squad has to be perfect,
09:14things have to go your way.
09:16And the opposition, the level is different and it's so hard to win.
09:20Do you feel then that the run that they're on at the moment
09:23has given everyone else a sense of opportunity?
09:26I don't think everybody is just dealing with his own business,
09:31that we have enough is so hard,
09:33and what the rest are doing is not really a matter now.
09:37You obviously want to beat West Ham anyway,
09:39but on the weekend when the top two defending champions and the leaders play each other,
09:45it must be an extra motivation to make sure you've got that win in the bag
09:48and that you can sit back and watch that game.
09:50It's a motivation to win our game,
09:52because that will put us watching that game on Sunday in a much better position.
09:55So that's the task.
09:57Go to Nick at the back.
09:58Hi, I'm just wondering how you unwind after the game, or in between games,
10:03because when you came to speak to us in Portugal you were still very animated,
10:08it was quite soon after the game,
10:09and we saw the stress that Pep was under after his match when he was talking to the media.
10:14It must be very difficult to decompress and then get off again, what's the process?
10:20I don't know, I think winning always helps to decompress,
10:24and decompress in the right way.
10:26Sometimes it takes a few hours, depending on the performance,
10:30the feeling I have after the game, it takes a few days.
10:33It's normal, it's a lot of emotion,
10:34we are so passionate and loving about what we do,
10:37we care a lot about what we do,
10:39and we wanted to do it at our best,
10:41and that's where the emotion plays a big part of that.
10:44Do you sleep well after matches like that in the week?
10:47We go quite late, not a lot of hours, but quite deep, I think.
10:54OK, last couple in the line, first Ruben from PA.
10:57Hi, Miquel.
10:57Hi.
10:58There was a bit of concern about Pep after the final game,
11:01his sort of well-being, how he was coping with defeat as a friend of his,
11:05is that something you want to reach out to him, are you concerned about him?
11:09Yes, that's something very personal,
11:11but I feel a lot of sympathy for all my colleagues,
11:15because I know the job, I know how ruthless this industry is,
11:19I know how we get judged just by one thing, which is results,
11:24regardless that you've done exactly the same thing
11:26and the outcome becomes different.
11:28We have to deal with that, I know how difficult it is,
11:30because personally I've been through that a lot,
11:33and every defeat obviously is super painful, and that's it.
11:37And then just put some perspective into it, like we always do,
11:40and move on, because it's always another game.
11:45Kyle.
11:46Hi, Miquel.
11:47You spoke a lot about the importance of availability
11:49and how much it's helped you over the past few games,
11:51I just wonder, because towards the end of last season
11:54you had a near-fully fit squad, that wasn't an accident,
11:56that was a big effort for your mental container, for yourself and all the others,
12:00have you done an investigation maybe internally
12:02as to why you suffered so much injuries?
12:03Because I know there's been a lot of bad luck,
12:05there's other factors at play there as well.
12:07Yeah, well there was a big difference between the end of last season
12:10and the previous one, availability, and you can tell that.
12:14We do research not only when we have injuries, but when we don't,
12:18because people tend to look very deep at things when there is a problem,
12:21why is everything going very good?
12:23Dig in there, because maybe you are doing things
12:26that are actually impacting what has actually happened.
12:29We've done a lot, I think not changing much,
12:32it's true that certain players,
12:34obviously they come from a position where they have played
12:36over 130 games in two seasons,
12:39but a lot of things have been impact and they've been joints,
12:43which is not related to muscle injuries,
12:46and things that you can tweak more,
12:47and it's more difficult to control I think.
12:49Just separately on Thomas Barty,
12:51you said in midweek he's played some of his best football,
12:53and he's out of contract at the end of the season,
12:56you said that you'd like to talk to him potentially about extending that,
12:59is that still your position, would you like to talk to him?
13:01Yeah, we'll have the right time to discuss about this situation,
13:05he's showing consistency at the highest level,
13:09again because of his availability and the way that he feels physically,
13:13he's able, he's allowed him to do that and I'm very pleased with that.