Arsenal v Aston Villa: Mikel Arteta press conference

Hello. Good. Thank you. Good. Any team news? We just heard that Gabrielle wasn’t in the first part of training. Everything OK with him? We’ll go one more day to prepare the match and we’ll see you tomorrow if everybody’s available. OK. So, so no hangover from buying. We have some, but hopefully with with another day we we’re going to be OK. OK. In terms of the buying game, what did you take of it? You’ve had time to reflect on it. Reflection done by and gone now is Aston Villa only. Focus on Aston Villa OK And in terms of soccer, obviously very animated at the end of the game, understandably. Does he calm down? Yes, yes. He looked fine this morning so he’s got 48 hours to think about it and that’s done. OK. In terms of Aston Villa, what’s impressed you most about in the well, what they’ve done? Obviously since when I come in, he’s made a huge impact at the club in terms of performances and consistently unbelievable what they are doing. They’re still in in European competition that they played last night, so really impressed with what they’ve done. Obviously by Sunday obviously you’re playing last in terms of the Premier League title race. How does that affect you and what sort of challenge does that present you in terms of psychologically playing last and knowing that you’re you could be behind both City and Liverpool by the game. We will know the results. We still have our duty to win our game, which is the only thing that we can control. That happened a few times already. It’s going to happen again the next few weeks. It’s just focus on what we can do, what we can control and make sure that we performed like we have to do against a really good side to try to beat them. If I can just ask one last one about the semi automated offsite technology, it was voted in unanimously. Are you pleased about this? Yes, I think it was that unanimous. That means that it’s going to be better, it’s going to be faster and more efficient. So hopefully it’s going to work and and be very positive for us. Thanks Vicki. We’ll go to Alex from the Premier League. Hi Michael. Hi. What’s the latest on you’re in Timber. When is he going to be ready for the match league score? Do you think he’s. He’s got a few steps to make. He needs to play a game at least within the 20 threes. He’s going to have an in house game soon as well. He’s done everything in training now he’s yeah, getting that much fitness and having people around and start competing in a football match, which is different to training. What will he bring to this team when he when he’s back? Hopefully a lot for everything that we see in training and and the time that he was fit. I think he’s going to have a big, big impact in the team. Arsenal unbeaten in the league, in twenty 24110, your 11 games in the league. How good is the momentum right now? Yeah it’s really good and we want to carry and go and it’s the most beautiful part of the season coming up right now and very busy schedule and and on Sunday we’re going to have a really tough one against a really good side and we’re going to have to be really good to beat them. The lead at the top of the table has changed 18 times already this season. I didn’t know that. How exciting is it? How exciting is it to be involved in a in a title race like this. Hopefully it stays as it is for the remaining six weeks and 18 is a beautiful number. I like 8 a lot. It was my number, so let’s keep it 18, brilliant, lucky number 18 then how well are the players dealing with the pressure at the moment going into each game knowing that they simply cannot afford to drop points. I think it’s just a motivation. I think they lift it already and and they are super excited about what we are doing, the way the team is performing, winning matches and and they want more. We know the task, the challenge ahead of us and and how good we have to be to win it. But we’re going to try as you mentioned earlier Aston, going to have just played. They have some key players out injured. Can you use that to your advantage do you think? We always try to use things in our advantage. We don’t know what they’re going to do and and there’s nothing that we can control. They still won last night and they have really really good sights. So we know the danger and and we know their strengths as well and and try to do what we have to do to win it. Good luck on Sunday. Thank you. George Bibsey, Miko. Hello. Sorry just going back to Tuesday. I know the VAR call didn’t work in your favour, but in general there’s a few differences in the Champions League VR system to the Premier League and I just wondered what you preferred. It seems in the Champions League seems to be a lot smoother. I just wondered if you had an opinion on that. No, it is different as well. The officials, I think they are different. You have for that is a is a competition that is played in in a slightly different way and we’re trying for that and just in looking back to Tuesday that result because it was such a great game. But has that got the potential to be so draining for your players because what they put into it or do you have to look at the other way and they could take so much out of that for the end of the season. I think a lot to take and especially how we manage emotionally the game we’ve been very dominant and and ahead and in 15 minutes you are behind a top side and and you have to deal with that game emotionally which is really tough to do and I think the team did brilliantly to manage that situation have time everything to play for a Munich you when you talk about that promotional you you can’t teach that can you really can you as a manager that I just have to learn that on the field in big games how they how they take that into the last seven matches you’ve got. I think that’s something that you have to work on daily with a lot of aspects. So when you are there if you already are leaving certain things in your system and as a team to be able to deal with them. Just a word on Unai Emery, I know he’s done his one thousandth game on Wednesday but I mean that’s some some achievement unbelievable and and he’s done it in so many different countries in so many different contexts and he’s been incredibly successful. Obviously he’s very close to my hometown. I have huge admiration for him and his respect and wishing the best after Sunday and that what he’s doing. Again, I think it’s, it’s really impressive. Thank you Ian Talksport. Hi Mikhail. The next two weeks, how defining are they going to be for you and your season percentage wise, percentage wise or just you know, very for sure because we can be in all competitions going into the semi finals of the Champions League and I’m being top of the Premier League or not, you know. So every game is going to define what’s our future looks like. So with with that in mind, how excited are you and the players, regardless of this football cliche? Just looking one game at a time, It’s impossible now isn’t it? To just look at one game, you you must be looking at the whole season and what’s left and what is there to achieve. It’s the only thing possible to look at one day and one game. It’s the only thing that is possible because it’s the only thing that maintains your focus and determining the task that you have to do on the day, which is the only thing that you can control. So you’ve never woken up one morning in the last month, let’s say. I thought I could, if things go right, be the first Arsenal man in 20 years to be champions of this country. I don’t think like this with her. I think about what we have to do next to be the next opponent and to maintain the position that we are in. Still very far. How difficult is that? Then? Just to look at one, just not to look at the bigger picture. That is the the job that we live and the game finishes and 15 minutes later we finished Luton and I was watching Brighton in my office in the stadium and it’s like this because you don’t have time. You have to prepare and and you are until the next one. And finally your successor a lot this year has been built defensively. I mean in the Premier League I think you conceded four goals since the turn of the year. Is that what ultimately will win you either or both of the Champions League and the Premier League? Well, it’s a huge platform and it gives you a real chance to win through all matches, that’s for sure. And we’re very consistent and we’ve seen as well and today the difference when you conceit or don’t conceit and how you conceit, those goals, the impact that they have. So let’s keep doing it. Go to Nick from height in the back. Hi, Michael. Hi. In terms of keeping the players both relaxed and positive so they can play their best in these games and not not tighten up, how do you work with? Do you have a sports psychologist in the team or was it something you speak to the players about? I think doing it natural. Obviously we have a lot of support from different areas and in different fields and expertise and and we do it between all of us. Tennis, understanding as well the mood of the team, the mood of individuals and trying to tweak that every single day to be in the right zone and they have to perform, give them the best chance to do that. So there’s no special techniques you do to sort of keep players on that right level between relaxed and energized. I don’t know if they are special. There are techniques there are ways to do it. There are ways that you believe that can work and impact the team and this is what we have to try to change this game. Hi Miguel. You got the touchline ban in the in the reverse game of Villa. How frustrating was that to have to sit in the stands and not be able to impact the game when you thought it was an experience? I deserved it. I I had to go upstairs because I got the yellow card that the rule says that you have to to miss a match. I did. I experienced it. I didn’t like it. So hopefully it doesn’t happen again. Did that make you change your behavior a bit, that experience? I think I might have to calm myself down. It’s possible that I think like this. Can I control it? Sometimes when I am there. That’s something else. So far it’s been it’s been better. But by the end of season I think it’s and you look at all the managers that I have banned, it’s just not a coincidence that the majority of us are so much in the season. We have been there. Do you think everybody’s kind of adjusted to it a bit more now? Do you find it a little bit easier on the top side now or not? Maybe we are adjusting. Obviously the the the rule came up and it was very aggressive rule. You know, every time we’re talking about we’re going to get a yellow card. I think now it’s a bit smoother as well and it’s a bit more understanding from from both ways what we expect from each other and that’s it. Simon Standard Just on that, Mikkel, after the game on on Tuesday night, obviously the penalty incident, we saw that Kyle was very angry. But you seem very sort of controlled and even in the press conference you seem very controlled. Do you feel like in your sort of journey, like controlling your emotions has has improved this season if you know what’s changing it? I think he has a ball and I know if it’s for the better or the worst and it’s not me. The one has to judge that at the end is how much I help the club, how much I have the team and individual players to try to perform and win as many matches as we can. And this is the the final objective. Always we heard from Gabby Jesus before the game talk about the pain in his knee in terms of him for the rest of the season. Do you need to sort of manage him through these games or do you feel like he’s someone who could play 90 minutes? Finally, the sport to play without pain I think is very difficult when you play every three days, especially on the level that we play. If you ask any player, they will say that yeah, sometimes there is pain and you have to deal with that and and that what it makes you as well. And Gabby has this toughness and this character that he always wants to overcome. He has overcome some difficulties in terms of injuries and and is ready again last couple of last section here we go. Just wondering what Simon was saying about the Karmas on Tuesday from you. It’s it’s such a stressful time of the season, but you’re really upon transmitting things and the energy you transmit, is that karma something you’re actively trying to transmit to your players? Is that sort of a conscious decision? I don’t know if it’s consciously it’s it’s I think and you guys know me, it’s how I feel in one way or the other. I think it’s very difficult for me to hide. It is how I feel. I want to give the place the best support and the best mindset and emotional state to to enjoy this moment and to go for it and have a real sense of belief and and determination to try to to end why we have worked so hard for 10 months to achieve. Because it is such an intense time of the season as it is almost like you don’t want to do anything that might distract them from as you said for the next game and the next day and the next training session. No that’s for sure and and they are super focused and and determined and when the team is doing very well don’t touch it you know let them do it and and they have grown a lot as well in as a group and let them let them be themselves trains up the team. Hi, Michael. Kai’s obviously really thriving at the moment playing as a a #9, and I know you’ve spoken about that before. I just wondered did he need some convincing that that was a position that he could really flourish in? No, I had well the first conversation with him. I told him what the idea was and and where I could see him play and impact the team. He fully agree with that. He’s very comfortable to change positions. He’s done it with us, he’s done it with with Chelsea in the past with the national team and and he’s got his capacity to adapt. And if he’s feeling good, Sunday is about who is surrounded by and what we ask him to do more than the position. Do you think that that adaptation that he has made to centre forward, do you think he’s more comfortable there now than he is in, let’s say, the number 8 position? I’m not sure. I think depends on the game, depends on the behaviours of of the opponent and what his role is within the day. But I wouldn’t say he’s more comfortable as a nine. I think he’s had obviously a tremendous impact as a nine, but it’s very similar as an 8, OK?