Arsenal v Chelsea: Mikel Arteta pre-match press conference

We have a great result at the weekend that’s left this Premier League title race looking very exciting. But has has there been a need for a different message to the players this week, given the teams you’re playing at Chelsea and Tottenham, who of course will be very keen to, to stop Arsenal winning, send messages, keep doing what we’ve been doing, focus on on the game, on the task, prepare the game really well as we have tried to do with the time that we had available and the boys looked ready to go again. How much character is your team showing at the moment after the win at the weekend, after the week you had? It was a good test to see how we react to, to certain obstacles and, and how much we want it basically and, and what we are capable of doing when, when the task raises the level of demand and, and some people are questioning it’s the moment they have to step up. And certainly the team did that. Rozio Pochetino has said that Cole Palmer is a doubt for this game. How big a boost would that be given he has been their outstanding player this season? I don’t know. We have no control on on the player’s availability. We have controlling ours and whatever they put out there, when you look at the score that they have, the quality that they have, it is great. I think they’re doing very, very well. I think they’re doing much better than people talks and and we’ll get off much more for sure. Have you been surprised that, given you mentioned the quality in the Chelsea team that they’re in the league position they’re in? And are there any comparisons to be made maybe in in your early days, what Morrissey of Pochettino is having to deal with at the moment in terms of the project and and improve? I think the journey of those clubs are very, very different and nothing to compare in my opinion. It’s a huge admiration for for Mouth because I know it’s it’s 23 years ago and and I really wish him all the best. He’s an incredible manager, he’s a huge leader and he would inspire that club to to get where they want to get, that’s for sure. A big talking point in the, in the last couple of days, generally in the Premier League has, has been around match officials. Not even for us. Do you think it was right for Nottingham for us to question the integrity of the match officials and the way they did yesterday? I don’t know. I’m not involved in that. I’ve been involved in a few and that’s nothing for me to comment. Do you think back to the, I guess the, the Newcastle game earlier in the season when, when Arsenal kind of called for an improvement in the standard of officiating? Is it, are there any comparisons to be made to, to some of yesterday’s decisions that maybe there’s still work to be done? I don’t know. I think we’re all trying to to improve the game in the best possible way and we are all aligned. Things are going to happen. They will happen in the future as well. And I know when he touches you, it’s very difficult and, and you have to sympathize with that because, yeah, we’ve all been there. Just finally, do you think the way that the referees are selected for games, is that a fair process at the moment? I don’t know. We are not involved in that. I’m sure they are doing whatever they think is the best solution, the best process and, and it’s constantly in review. Everything that we do is evolving and it’s in in constant evolution and they will try to get it better and better and I’m certain that that will happen. OK, Nif from the POP Hi, how big was that the win? It was after a couple of difficult results. It felt like a very mature performance by ours in terms of size. It was quite good. It really, it really meant a lot to us. We’re in a great position in the Premier League. We’ve been like this for nine months, 9 1/2 months. And we want really to, to give it a real go and, and be really determined to do what is in our hands to, to try to leave that trophy. And, and tomorrow we’re going to have a a very tough opponent in front of us and we will try to overcome that opener again. The fact this season there are three teams involved in the title race, it feels that there’s more challenging, it’s more exciting and the margins are tighter. Would you agree with that? They are because obviously you you depend on another two teams as well and and you talk about, as I always said, the best two teams in in the take out of this league. In my opinion you are the best in the history of this league. So this is where we are. What do you think of Chelsea the last couple of months? Despite the defeat of Wembley against City, we could clearly see the improvement. When you face them in the winter, they really challenge you. What do you expect tomorrow? Huge improvements, I think they decide to be in a in a much higher position in the league. When you look at what they’ve done and what they produce in games, they have reached a final, they have reached a semi final they could have gained through. So I think what one more issue is doing is is really impressive and and I’m sure that he’s going to get them there. Ian talksport Hi Mika, how are you? Hi, very good, thank you. Do you enjoy playing against piss your wits against Marcia Pochettino? I know he’s a good friend of yours. Enjoy. I have to play against him. He needs to play against me. It’s it’s huge clubs. The London Derby is a massive game for for us and and we have prepared the best possible way. In terms of officials. You were asked about earlier, you said that things you think things will change in the future. Do you think things need to change in the future? Do you think that we have a great product on the pitch, see loads of goals, great title race? There’s just one little thing letting it all down at the moment. I think it needs to change. No, I think it evolved. I think it would evolve because the game is evolving and the officiating will evolve in in direction with the game probably and and the technology as well. And there will be new rules for sure and they will implement new rules in the future. Has to be open to that. We’ve seen last week in the Champions League VAR decisions were made a lot quicker. Is that is that your perception that things different in Europe compared to here at home? Well, super fast. I was fascinated. I don’t know, I don’t know. I don’t know. You can really see in two seconds five different screens. So I would like to review that process. Finally, after the the game on Saturday, Pep body brought up the the schedule, the game, the the fact that the city had to play Wednesday and then the FA Cup semi final Saturday. You’re playing Saturday and now on Tuesday. I just wanted your idea about whether or not the schedule, the calendar needs to be looked at. Maybe managers need to be spoken to by not only those putting the games on, but also by their chief execs who sign the things that would say not only these games have to happen and play, but also the tours before and after seasons can go ahead. Yeah. But I, I already gave my opinion last week about it. And I understand that is a really important topic, but I say what I think and and let’s see, there are some improvements and, and we look after the players as good as we possibly can between all of us. It’s not just an individual responsibility, it’s it’s all the factors. The clubs are involved heavily as well. And with the broadcaster, with the FA, it’s a lot of decisions to be made. And and I think we really need to sit down and and rethink what we are doing. George, BBC special day, happy birthday. Thank you very much. Happy birthday, thank you. Got a nice cake here for us, all of us. I just wondered on soccer and Declan Rice and they’re scheduling a lot of your players. I think some of them are close to playing sort of 5050 games now. And Arsene Wenger used to say that they’d have this red zone. And I know Arsenal do a lot of work on stats and how close are your players to to being burned out with, with scheduling and, and what they’re going for at the moment with seasons? Are they almost like they can’t wait for the season to end just to get a couple of weeks off? I don’t know. When I see them this morning, I have to stop them because winning as well is a big boost of energy. And, and after their performance against Wolves and winning and having to play a London Derby tomorrow, everybody’s ready for it. Something else is, yes, the amount and the volume of those games, it’s not the moment for us to look at that. We have to think in a positive way and and feel and think that we are fresh to perform the best possible way. When you talk about officiating and evolving, would you be open to maybe looking at rests from other countries coming to the Premier League? Do you think that would help? Because you could argue if you get the best rests in Europe to come and officiate possibly in the Premier League, would you be in favour of that? Oh no, we have to open to to everything. So we have owners from everywhere, we have director, sporting directors from everywhere, managers, players. I don’t know. I think we have to look in house and I think there is already a very strong program to develop referees because it was something, it was already explained that it would take some time to process, but they are on it. So we’re not going to make that decision. That’s a decision for them to understand who is the best to take charge of that. And just one more on Cole Palmer. I just wondered if you had much to do with them at Man City when when he was probably great. I think you’d left the last time we get into the first team. He was too young. He was too at the time. Jordan Athletic last four years, Arsenal’s record against the big six teams in the country used to let them down at this point in the season last year, I think he took 19th and 30th. This year with three games to go, I think you can still take 22 maximum. What’s changed there in in the psychology when it comes to these big games? Well, whether it’s psychology, whether it’s performance, whether it’s getting better than as a team. And obviously the more you win against big teams, the more believe you have that you can, you can do it consistently. And we prepare every game to beat them and, and tomorrow definitely will be, it will be the same. And we’ll have to prove on the pitch whether we are capable or not. And you’re a player, even when you first took over as manager, Chelsea were probably more established as had the pedigree as the top team. Do you think that’s now, now switching the Arsenal going into the the game as the, as the dominant side? I don’t know. But when you look at the history of what they’ve done in the last 20 years, there’s a different big difference. And we need to do that. And we, we haven’t done any of that yet. The balance of the table, if you look at the right hand side, Saka White with the guard, that’s pretty much fixed and it’s been there for 2-3 years now. The left side, there’s been a lot more change at left back, carverts moving back to midfield, Martinelli, Trossard. It feels like you’ve not quite settled on a formula on that side. Jeff, is that something you thought you would have got by that stage of the scene? Well, the fact is as well that we had a lot of injuries in, in that, in that side. Obviously the fact that we haven’t had Thomas for 6-7 months has affected us in in a way to to play decline as well in a different position. But I look at it as something really positive as well that we have the the possibility to change play it and and find different dynamics and unit within the site. James, ESPN. I’m Michael. Hi, as a manager, what you make of the Chelsea project, you know, spending a billion pounds for two years and trying to build the team. So almost all thrown together, just what you make of that as an idea. I don’t, I know the person to that I can talk about what we have done, but not about what the clubs do is entirely up to them. And they will have their, their vision and I’m very clear how they’re going to get where they want to get. Would you like a billion to spend? Sorry, would you like a billion pounds to spend? Depends. I, I like a lot what I have and I’m very pleased with that because I guess the point I’m kind of trying to get to is that spending money is not necessarily the guarantee of success is if you look at what shows you’ve done in the last few years. Well, if you look that’s I think a very short sample because you look in the history of the Premier League in the last 20 years, the ones that they have spent the most and what has happened, I think there is a big relation. So depending how you look at it. So you think they’ll come good eventually. I’m convinced they were with that squad yes and with the manager they have yes client. Your intent is going to be involved for the under 20 ones tonight. But if he comes through that is there a chance he could be involved against spurs over the weekend? That’s a quick step. Let’s let’s see how he feels today. He’s been training really good. He looks he looks ready in exact exposure. And after that we’ll assess where that game comes in the right time or too fast and, and try to get in with us for the for the final games. And I know it might be another quick step. Obviously Euros are coming up in the summer and then holiday wanting to look at him and maybe take him. Would you say that would be too soon for him and maybe that’d be a bit of a risk if he was to go to that tournament in the summer? Well, at the moment it looks really far because he hasn’t played any football. So let’s see how it goes tonight. Let’s see if he can contribute in an impactful way in our season and then we’ll see what happens in in the summer. OK, We’ve got one from BG Norway. Hi, Football has seen plenty of wonder kids that have failed to live up to their potential, but do you think Martin Aguar did it fulfilling his potential? Yeah, hopefully not. Hopefully there is still a lot more to come. He’s still very young and he’s made hugest right in the last few seasons. He’s got a massive role at the club and hopefully it can keep growing. But the the Wonder Kid brand, it’s a heavy, can be heavy to wear and we have seen many fail to deliver after that. So do you think that Martin has proved that wrong? Well, especially because he had he had to wear that kid since he was 1415, you know, and, and that’s not easy, but I think he has handled that in a great way. I think the steps that he made as well to to progress and to have minutes and, and developed his career, especially when he went to re associate that, I think it was a really intelligent move. And then from there, I think he took off and, and now we have the play that we have. And how important has he been in building this team that now is challenging for the Premier League title for the second year in a row? Well, he’s our captain, he’s one of our main players. And when you look at the impact that he has with us daily, it’s it’s amazing. So we are really happy to have.