Arteta refuses to get carried away after Arsenal sweep Madrid aside 3-0 in Champions League
08/04/2025
uefa25
Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid UCL quarter final first leg
08/04/2025
uefa25
Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid UCL quarter final first leg
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SportsTranscript
00:00Hi everyone, if you have a question raise your hand and we'll come to you, see a few hands coming up, we'll just wait for the guys to get everything here.
00:13Obviously very proud, I mean we had a very complete and big performance collectively and you need that in terms of organisation in terms of what we had to do to dominate the game and to create Madrid problems.
00:27And then this night is about all the two factors, one is the atmosphere that we created, 15 minutes before kick-off already something I haven't seen before, so playing with that energy, with that commitment with your crowd makes a huge difference.
00:39And then magic moments, individual moments that decide full matches and the first two goals of Declan is just, I think it sums up the night.
00:48OK, we'll do a few questions in English and then we'll go to Spanish questions. John Cos from the Mirror in English.
00:53Was Declan always determined to take those free-kicks and tell us about his quality? Because I think the first that he scored from direct free-kicks...
01:02He's been very determined because we have talked in the last few months, we haven't scored a direct free-kick since September 2021.
01:09Burnley away, Martin Odegaard. So it's been a long time. So to score two goals in 12 minutes of that magnitude of that quality from the same player,
01:18a player that has never scored a free-kick before in his career. I mean, what are the odds? But he's done it tonight and I'm a big believer.
01:25I think the crowd played something with the energy that they put in and it helped us massively to win the game.
01:32OK, Derek, I'm sure from Ms. Cosmos.
01:34Mikel, congratulations.
01:36Everything you asked for in the build-up to this match, from the fans, from the players, from yourself...
01:41I don't know if you have wild dreams, but in your wildest dreams, did you ever think that this could happen?
01:49I did. I mean, I was very convinced because I could sense in the preparation that we were really at it,
01:55that we had that belief and that trust that we could create a lot of problems.
01:59But then it was the theme of the game, make it happen. Then you have to make it happen.
02:04But you have that mindset and that belief that things can happen and we deliver today.
02:09It's just half-time, but we are very happy.
02:12Sam from Tilikov.
02:14Hi, Mikel.
02:15Hi.
02:16Are Bukayo and Dek both OK? What were the issues?
02:18Yeah, I think Dek had an issue with the foot. I don't know if he was a tackle or what was it.
02:22And Bukayo, after he got tackled on the foul, I think he had a knock and he had to go out.
02:28Serious, do you think?
02:29He doesn't look serious, no.
02:30Alex from the BBC.
02:31Hi, Mikel.
02:32Hi.
02:33Just a word on Miles-Louis Skelly, another step on his journey, another excellent performance and assist and stepping up to the occasion tonight.
02:40I mean, collectively when you play the way we played and have the performance that we had, you need individuals at the highest level.
02:46And I think they all took the game to a different level, their individual performance to the standards that are required to beat this incredible team.
02:55So, very happy. Now it's about consistency.
02:58Tom from Tukerlandon.
02:59Mikel, there's so much talk about you signing a striker, but have you already got him in Mikel Moreno?
03:05Well, it's been a season that we have to adapt constantly.
03:10And we went through a lot of things.
03:12We lost probably our best defender as well for four months.
03:15And Jakub comes in and he delivers the performances that he's delivering.
03:19It's not a coincidence the way they train, the way they apply themselves and the way they help each other.
03:25I think produces those moments and with Mikel is again his commitment, his desire to learn the position, to constantly be thinking what he can offer to the team.
03:35And the team adapting to his qualities to try to deliver the best outcome.
03:39Hi, Mikel. There's always a lot of talk about Madrid's aura and it's going to come up before the second leg.
03:46I mean, did you work on that kind of psychology of the team beforehand, like breaking them down, just looking at them as a mortal team?
03:53Yeah, but especially that it was about us that my feeling was that the team was super convinced and we had the trust that we could do it
04:01because we've done it for now big periods against the best opposition that you can face in football for two years.
04:08And if you can do that, you can do it on the day and especially with our crowds.
04:12At that level, I think it elevates the level of the team and we have managed to beat them.
04:17Was it important to get this big win in New York as well?
04:20Because obviously Bayern was the first match against one of these major clubs.
04:23Was this kind of a threshold?
04:25Yeah, you have to continue to make steps and tonight we have one in the right direction for sure.
04:30And now it's half time and now we have to go to the Bernabeu.
04:33We're going to have to elevate the level again to be the team that we want to be there and to prepare the game to win it.
04:39Amy Atlete.
04:40Hi, Michele. Is it possible to put some perspective on this kind of night in the sense that people are talking about it being maybe the best performance at the Emirates in the history of this stadium?
04:50And when you think about when they came into a team that wasn't always in Europe, had to spend some time in the Europa League,
04:56get back into the Champions League step by step, can you feel that perspective of what a result of this significance does?
05:04How people feel about how you feel about your team and what they can do?
05:08Yeah, I do because I know how much work and how many decisions a lot of people have made in this football club to live the night that we had tonight.
05:16I told them thank you so much for making us enjoy the journey to come here.
05:22And thank you for me feeling so convinced that tonight we're going to do it and we're going to make it happen.
05:28And it was a genuine feeling because I think we are prepared to do that.
05:32And now we have to go to the Bernabeu and do it. And that will be another step.
05:36Isan Deliver.
05:37After the draw against Everton, how did you get the players up against their sidekick?
05:41Of course, when you look around the line, the stars from top to bottom, how did you get them so ready for it?
05:48Well, a completely different game. Two different walls of football and demands from the opposition.
05:53And you could sense, I mean, they've been waiting for this game, you know, the moment that we got the draw,
05:58there isn't a team that club that is going to motivate you though for the right reasons,
06:02because they changed the history of the competition and they are the best team by far in the competition.
06:08And our challenge opportunity was to, OK, face them and try to beat them.
06:13It's obviously just the first leg, but do you think that you've accomplished something here by .3 past round three?
06:18We're going to enjoy the win because we feel it is safe to do that.
06:21But we know it's just half-time and we're going to have to be even better in Madrid to go through.
06:26OK, last two in English. Firstly, James from Seniors.
06:29Mikko, you said the word half-time a lot already and I'm sure you'll be saying it a lot over the next eight days.
06:34Does it in any way help that it's Real Madrid and it's at the Bernabeu and that the players know what happens there?
06:40Is that going to help them keep focus and make sure they don't think that ties won?
06:43Yeah, well, they were talking about it immediately. You know, great, enjoy it and now let's prepare Saturday very well
06:49and then we'll have the time to prepare the next challenge in Madrid, but they are all very excited.
06:55Phil Pierre.
06:56Hi, Mikel. I know you keep saying it's only half-time, but what sort of message does that win send to the rest of Europe?
07:02Do you think Arsenal should now be considered as the favourites to win this?
07:05No, because we have a tie that we are just, again, in the middle of it at half-time, however you want to call it,
07:11and there is still so much to do here.
07:13Okay, questions on Spanish media.
07:1535 for Laka.
07:17Hola, Mikel. Ayer me comentabas que estos tipos de partidos se suelen resolver en un 33% de estrategia.
07:25Hoy han sido los dos primeros. Hemos visto unas imágenes de Nicolás Goer diciendo que hiciera la banana
07:30antes de que The Clan Rice marcar el primer gol. ¿Estos dos primeros goles los consideras estrategia
07:35o simplemente calidad del jugador?
07:38Bueno, hay mucho entrenamiento detrás de eso y The Clan lleva mucho tiempo entrenándolo,
07:41pero la realidad es que llevamos tres años y medio sin hacer un gol de falta directa
07:45y hemos sido capaces de hacer dos en doce minutos.
07:48Al final, la calidad individual juega un papel gigante, enorme, en esta competición
07:54y hemos tenido la suerte que nuestros jugadores han sido capaces de sacar dos momentos
07:59y el tercero, que es un golazo, creo, a nivel colectivo, para poder ganar el partido.
08:04Hola, Mikel, muy buenas. Antonio Romero en directo con el arguero de la cadena SER.
08:08Hoy se ha visto una gran diferencia entre el Arsenal y el Gran Madrid hasta tal punto
08:12que el resultado ha sido poco para los méritos que ha tenido su equipo.
08:16Pero se ha sentado ahí Carlo Ancelotti, después de reconocer el gran partido del Arsenal,
08:20ha terminado edición en un mes. En el Bernabéu a veces ocurren cosas.
08:23¿Está capacitado el Real Madrid para que dentro de una semana ocurran cosas en el Bernabéu?
08:29Bueno, eso es parte de la historia. Creo que lo han demostrado y por eso creo que nosotros
08:33tenemos muy claro el partido que hemos hecho y los motivos por los cuales lo hemos ganado.
08:38Y hablaremos de lo que tenemos que hacer en el Bernabéu en Madrid para ir a ganar el partido
08:43y que pasen muchas de las cosas que han pasado hoy. Y para eso hay que ir allá y hay que demostrarlo.
08:48Miquel, después de cinco años aquí transformando el club, progresando, ¿cuántas ganas tenías de demostrar
08:57que tu Arsenal puede ganar un partido como este?
09:00Bueno, creo que hemos ganado muchos partidos, pero es que cuando llevas 20 años sin enfrentarte a este rival,
09:06cuando llevas tantos años sin hacer un camino de verdad en esta competición, pues hay que crear tu historia.
09:13Y las historias se crean con noches como esta, se crean con un público que está entregado antes del partido
09:20y que eleva el nivel colectivo individual de nuestros jugadores y se acordarán durante mucho tiempo.
09:26Y es un paso, pero obviamente nos quedan muchísimos por dar.
09:29Hola Miquel, tú has trabajado un par de años, tres, con Guardiola.
09:36Y seguramente si alguien sabe lo que es vivir un partido en el Bernabéu de Champions en estos últimos años
09:41en Guardiola y con su Citi, sufrir esa reputada, sufrir esa mística...
09:45Bueno, no sé si en estos días se te va a ocurrir levantar el teléfono y pedirle consejo a él de qué hacer o qué no hacer
09:52según qué situaciones que puedan ocurrir en el Bernabéu.
09:55He aprendido muchísimo de él, de situaciones profesionales, personales y en los últimos días habíamos hablado
10:02porque tenía ganas de hablar con él y creo que él también conmigo porque se alegra enormemente
10:07de las cosas buenas que nos pasen. Y nada, aprender de los mejores y los que han tenido experiencias
10:14creo que es una cosa de gente inteligente y yo he tenido mucha suerte de tener gente muy buena al lado, que me ha ayudado mucho.
10:21¿De todas las cosas que han ocurrido esta noche, de qué se siente más orgulloso?
10:28Creo que de la conexión y de la energía que hemos generado entre el público y el equipo.
10:34Y lo he dicho muchas veces, para noches grandes, momentos grandes, competiciones grandes,
10:39este estadio tiene que transformarse en algo mucho mayor de lo que hemos hecho hasta ahora
10:44y luego tiene que nacer el rendimiento individual. Tienen que pasar momentos mágicos y hay jugadores que tienen que elevar eso.
10:50Y hoy hemos tenido dos cosas que creo que en el futuro nos van a ayudar.
10:57Gracias.