Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on preparing for Manchester United class on Sunday
10/01/2025
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
10/01/2025
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
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00:00I just wondered whether you've seen him in person or spoken to him, are you in the players?
00:07And if so, what kind of message he's given you or encouraging he's given you for the rest of the season while he'll be unfortunately unavailable?
00:14Yeah, he's been around a lot, obviously. It's great to have him.
00:19It's always a smile on his face, he's going through a period that is unknown for him because he's never been injured for such a long time.
00:26We discuss the things that we can do together, he can do as well to use that time in the right way to make him a better person,
00:35to make sure that he spends the time adequately with the opportunity that he has, and when he comes back he's in a better place.
00:41Do you sense that among the players, obviously there's huge motivation anyway, but do you feel there's extra motivation among the players to do something for Mikhail as well while he's out?
00:52Well, we had unfortunately a lot of players injured, so we do it for all of them, but we do it for our people and because it's our job and our passion to try to do our best to win four matches, that's it.
01:03On the broader topic, you and Liverpool, in the course of about 35, 36 days, have got to play 11 times.
01:10To what extent do you feel that Bukayo is a casualty of the schedule that's now being imposed on the very top players?
01:19The answer is that we don't know. We don't know if he would have had one or two less games, he would have got injured.
01:26Or maybe not, because he's done it in the past, so nobody can answer that question.
01:31We can have our theories, our feelings and look at every possible data, but the answer is that we don't know.
01:38At this stage last year, the run you went on in your last 18 league games, you won 16, drew one and lost one.
01:46But that was after a nice winter break in the sunshine and without so many injuries.
01:53How much of a blow is it not to be able to have that break like you did last year?
01:58But how confident are you in your players that you can produce a run like that despite the challenges you have?
02:05Well, I look at it the other way around. I said in the first part of the season, with all the injuries, suspensions, more games,
02:12more competition that we have played, we are in a better position than last year, or exactly the same in the Premier League.
02:18How is that possible? So everything is ahead, it's in our control.
02:23There are things that we can do still better with injuries, without injuries, with the schedule, and we focus on that.
02:29But if you went out with the FA Cup, would that give you a chance to go?
02:32We want to win the FA Cup.
02:36Just to go back to the FA Cup you won, do you feel you get enough credit for that?
02:41Because we've seen a lot recently from pundits saying that you need to win a trophy, but you haven't won a trophy.
02:48I don't expect to get credit. I expect to get judged on what we do on the day.
02:54That's what we've done in the past, in the future. It's not relevant. It doesn't interest me at all.
03:00Do you think it's because of Covid that maybe that FA Cup triumph doesn't get talked up enough?
03:08I don't know.
03:09And just on corners, last time you played United at home you had 13 corners,
03:14and it was a bit of an onslaught really in the second half, bombarded Onana.
03:20Do you expect United to be better prepared this time, and if so, do you still feel you can have success from corners to the extent you did on that night?
03:28I don't know the way they have prepared, what they have focused on, so it's very difficult to answer that.
03:35In the way that we believe that we can hurt them, certainly we'll focus especially tomorrow on those areas.
03:45You just said you're in a better position than you were this time last year.
03:50The other day against Newcastle, I sensed a bit of frustration among some of the fans.
03:57How important is it that they remain patient with the team?
04:04My opinion is crucial, because the success that we had is very, very related to the atmosphere and the energy that we have created amongst our supporters, so that's it.
04:16Do you feel that this game against Man United is a chance for you to rotate your squad a little bit,
04:21or are you going to be going full strength as you did against Newcastle this week?
04:25I think we have rotated a lot for different reasons, and we're going to have to continue to rotate,
04:30because of the amount of games that we have and the level of the players that we have.
04:34So I don't see any competition, it's about momentum, it's about feeling, it's about what we need in the occasion as well to give ourselves the best chance to win.
04:44So my selection is going to be in that, not in the competition.
04:48Is this the sort of game you know against Man United, a big chance for your team to respond to the other night and lay down a marker for a really big week to come after that?
04:58Yeah, but the response cannot be attached to the performance or to the result.
05:04The result, yeah, we are very unhappy with the result, especially because we believe that we didn't deserve it.
05:10But there are a few things that we have to do much better, and against Manchester United as well, to earn the right to win the game.
05:16Sorry to talk about the balls again, but can you say how long you've had to practice with this new ball, the Mite ball?
05:24How many balls, do you get given a whole bunch of FA Cup balls?
05:29Yeah, so today we trained with those balls for example.
05:32But this is just so happens, after you said what you said about the Carabao Cup ball, this is a special Man United ball?
05:39I just answered a question the other day, somebody asked me, I don't know who it was.
05:44But this is like a special Man United ball?
05:47It's made for them?
05:49Yeah, because they're the holders.
05:51Don't worry, we will adapt to that.
05:53OK, forget the balls. A month ago, you did really well against Man United, set pieces, and everyone was going,
06:01wow, Arsenal, best in the world at set pieces and scoring goals and corners.
06:05And now a month on, everyone's going, wow, that's all they do. You can't win, can you?
06:11Yeah, we have won a lot.
06:17Do you feel as if we're getting there?
06:20Me, personally?
06:24But when you are there, competing in every front is normal,
06:27because a lot of people want to support another club or another club,
06:31and if I look at what they say about Chelsea or Tottenham or Liverpool,
06:37and this is the same, so there's no difference.
06:40What do they want me to talk about? That we conceded 0.3 goals in 10 games in a row?
06:44Nobody's going to talk about that, no?
06:46And we scored now five goals.
06:48No, because last week we talked about not scoring, and now they scored four.
06:51I'm not going to ask any questions about that.
06:53It's normal, guys. For me, it's totally normal.
06:56OK, guys? OK, thanks very much. Thank you.
07:07Cheers.