Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta proud of how Arsenal have responded to season long injury setbacks
02/05/2025
Sobha Realty Training Center, London, UK
02/05/2025
Sobha Realty Training Center, London, UK
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00:00How's it going again?
00:02She's fine.
00:04We'll kick off with the as live section.
00:06So as we said earlier, we'll run as live after we finish the press conference,
00:10and then into a 10.30 tonight.
00:12So if we're ready, we'll kick off with Gary from Sky.
00:14Thanks. Hello, Mikel.
00:15Hello.
00:16No more training left before kickoff tomorrow night,
00:19so an ideal time to ask you your favorite questions of news conferences.
00:23Okay.
00:24Let's start with Calafiore.
00:27Yeah, he's out. Still out.
00:29Jorginho.
00:30Out.
00:31So with Jorginho, the suggestion seemed to be at the start it wasn't too bad,
00:36and it's become – seems to be worse than your first thought.
00:40I know there's patient confidentiality.
00:42Can you give us any idea what it is that he's gone?
00:46Yeah, he got a bit more complicated than expected.
00:49Thankfully, he's fine.
00:51He's feeling good.
00:52He's recovering well.
00:53But yeah, it was a bit more than what certainly we wanted.
00:58Is it like a broken rig or something like that?
01:00No, I think I'll leave it to the doctor if he wants to clarify,
01:03or Georgie that personally.
01:05There's hopefully six games to go this season.
01:09Yeah.
01:10Do you think we've seen Jorginho in an Arsenal shirt for the last year?
01:14I think so, yeah.
01:15Hopefully, if everything goes well in the next week or so,
01:18I think he will gradually reintegrate in the team, yeah.
01:23Okay, great.
01:24And with Kai Havertz, the opposite kind of better than before it seems
01:28in terms of his recovery.
01:29I know we are sure every week, but that's because of what you suggested
01:32that he is potentially going to be back?
01:35I think so.
01:36I think if everything goes the way it's going at the moment
01:40and the way it's planned, I think he will have a chance
01:42to play a few games in the season.
01:45Okay.
01:46Any others?
01:47No, the rest are out.
01:49Yeah.
01:50I guess the science, the medical science suggests that Thomas
01:55will be involved tomorrow given that he was rested in the week.
01:59Well, he couldn't play.
02:01He was suspended.
02:02So, yeah, he's got a good opportunity to play tomorrow, yeah.
02:08Is that something you would do because you're wanting to be involved
02:11ahead of the big game on Wednesday?
02:13Yeah.
02:14Now we will assess how the squad is, what we want to do tomorrow,
02:17certainly with the players that we have available and do the line-up
02:20and the possible subs.
02:22And if selected, a hundredth appearance for Declan Rice.
02:25Yeah.
02:26Achieved in less than two seasons.
02:27Unbelievable.
02:28About consistency, availability, the way he's performed,
02:32the way he has adapted to the club, to the team.
02:36I think he's been an unbelievable signing.
02:39The supercomputer.
02:41You love the supercomputer.
02:43The ordinary computer, even a broken computer,
02:46says you've got no chance of winning the title this season.
02:48Yeah.
02:49That's gone.
02:51The supercomputer says you've got a 99.6% chance,
02:55even if the ball is kicked this weekend.
02:57Finishing in the top five.
02:58But what was that little fraction of no chance?
03:02That's going to be the message?
03:03The message is very clear.
03:05We have to earn the right to win the game tomorrow,
03:09be better than Bournemouth, and win the game.
03:12That's what we have to do.
03:13And that's the way we have prepared since two days ago.
03:16Because if you do beat Bournemouth and Chelsea lose Liverpool,
03:21which is possible,
03:22and they're not going to lose at a buoyant cup fire in this Crystal Palace,
03:26which is possible,
03:27you will then mathematically qualify for the top five.
03:31Is that something you're looking at?
03:32The wider picture?
03:33It's a lot of ifs,
03:34so the most important one is to increase our probabilities to win our game,
03:40and that's the focus of the team.
03:42We've just got a couple more.
03:43Camera showed some of the players who weren't involved on Tuesday.
03:47Seven important players to you.
03:49Two of the Gabriels,
03:51Tamiassi, Calafiore,
03:53Kai Havertz,
03:54Jorginho,
03:55Partey,
03:56Nigel,
03:57but obviously suspended.
03:58When you think about those kind of problems you've had this season,
04:01with injuries,
04:02big players missing,
04:03red cards as well,
04:04a lot of red cards,
04:05how does that make you even more proud of what you've achieved this season?
04:10Well, the thing is that we live every day with what we have,
04:13and then I was very shocked just before the game against PSG at home,
04:19because I was walking into the dressing room,
04:21and suddenly I saw all of them together seated.
04:24So it was Tamiassi,
04:27next to him Calafiore,
04:29next to him Gabriel Magallanes,
04:33next to him Thomas Partey,
04:36next to him Kai Havertz,
04:38next to him Gabriel Jesus,
04:40next to him Jorginho.
04:42I said,
04:44that's a certain line-up,
04:46and we don't have them,
04:47and we haven't had them for many, many months.
04:49And then I felt joy about the team,
04:53and what they are doing,
04:54and how they're trying,
04:55and nobody's talking about it in the building at all.
04:58But it's happening,
05:00and I felt pride about how the boys,
05:03and the staff,
05:04and the club are reacting to these situations.
05:08That's a very nice answer,
05:10poetic answer.
05:11Actually, I've got a poem,
05:12a bit of a poem.
05:13I know you're a culture man.
05:15Beautiful spring-like weather outside,
05:17a bit of Tennessee.
05:18In the spring,
05:19a young man's fantasy
05:21likely turns to thoughts of love.
05:23How do you stop your players
05:25lightly thinking about the city of love,
05:27thinking about Paris this weekend?
05:30I will discuss that.
05:32Because the only thing that we can control
05:34is our performances,
05:35our emotional state,
05:36and how well we are performing.
05:38And we know how important it is.
05:39It's still a lot of the things
05:40that we have to do in the Premier League,
05:42even though we haven't achieved what we wanted.
05:44And I take the opportunity as well
05:47to congratulate Liverpool
05:48and what they've done
05:49in the manner that they've done,
05:50how consistent they've been.
05:52And I think they fully deserve to win it.
05:54They were the better team.
05:55They had so many attributes.
05:57They had a consistent leader squad available.
05:59And we're going to try again.
06:01But up to that moment,
06:03next season,
06:04now we're going to have to finish the season very strong.
06:06Finishing second is your target.
06:08Yes, for sure.
06:10Thanks, Gary.
06:11We'll go to Nif from the Premier League.
06:12Hi.
06:13You just mentioned Liverpool.
06:14How impressed have you been
06:16with their calmness this season
06:18as a club on the pitch, off the pitch?
06:20There was a situation
06:21with the contract of Monsala and Virgil
06:23and there was no distraction
06:24because it was done.
06:25Yeah, it's good.
06:26They had the distraction.
06:27The good thing is that
06:28they had them in the pitch all the time.
06:30You know,
06:31which is something very positive.
06:32And it's a club.
06:33In the last 10-15 years
06:34they've been consistently there.
06:36Fighting for trophies.
06:37Winning big trophies.
06:38Winning the Champions League.
06:39So they're used to that.
06:40So nobody, I think,
06:42should be surprised
06:43because they have the level.
06:44And yeah,
06:45they made it
06:46because they've done a lot of things
06:47very, very well.
06:48So,
06:49deserve champions.
06:50You faced Anthony Roura
06:51this weekend.
06:52Yeah.
06:53Back in the day,
06:55youth football.
06:56When you played together
06:57when you were younger,
06:58what type of teammate he was
06:59in the dressing room
07:00who was more vocal?
07:01You or Anthony?
07:02He was super talented.
07:04Very skillful.
07:05He used to play as a winger.
07:06A winger coming inside.
07:08A really smart player.
07:10Probably none of us thought
07:12that we were going to be in the position
07:14that we are in today
07:15in the Premier League.
07:16But yeah,
07:17really happy for him.
07:18I think he's doing
07:19an extraordinary job.
07:20The way he,
07:22I think he has changed
07:23a lot of things
07:24at the club as well.
07:25The atmosphere,
07:26beliefs,
07:27the players that he's recruited,
07:28the way they play,
07:29really impressive.
07:30Mike Cody,
07:31about the chance of finishing
07:33the top four,
07:34the Champions League position.
07:35When you look at the progress
07:36and the development
07:37and the improvement
07:38at Bournemouth,
07:39can you see them
07:40maybe even next year
07:41becoming one of those clubs
07:42that will challenge you
07:43and other clubs
07:44for Champions League football?
07:45I think every club
07:46that is in this position
07:47they have the opportunity
07:48to do it
07:49because now they have
07:51the consistency in the league.
07:52They have very,
07:53very good players
07:54when you look at the players
07:55and the set-up that they have
07:57is really impressive.
07:58So, yeah, for sure.
08:00Ian, talk to all.
08:01Hi, Mikel.
08:02How are you?
08:03Good, thank you.
08:04Has it hurt you this season
08:05not winning the league?
08:06Yeah.
08:07Big time, yeah.
08:08Do you want to expand on that?
08:10You see my tummy there,
08:12so I understand
08:14that it's a team
08:18that has been more consistent
08:19and it had a lot of ingredients
08:20that you need to win it,
08:22but it's very painful.
08:23Yeah.
08:24Because this was meant
08:25to be your year.
08:26This was meant to be
08:27if City didn't win it
08:28after two years
08:29of winning.
08:30Yeah.
08:31I never thought like this.
08:32It's not that simplistic.
08:35In terms of next year,
08:36how do you have less injuries?
08:38How do you walk into
08:39a change room next year
08:40and see less of your starting
08:42and everything
08:43and how injured
08:44and more of your starting
08:45at XI?
08:46That's another discussion.
08:47We have so much to play for
08:48during the two competitions,
08:49Premier League
08:50and Champions League
08:51and the focus is
08:52that at the end of the season
08:53we have many weeks
08:54to reflect
08:55and do the work
08:56that we are really preparing
08:57to give you
08:58much better answers.
08:59Is that one of the key things
09:00you've got to do though?
09:01To work out
09:02how to get more players
09:03on the pitch?
09:04Too many things.
09:05Play with 11 players.
09:06Number one,
09:0738 games if possible
09:09and the second one
09:10have availability
09:11of your best players
09:12in the best position
09:13that win your games.
09:14Ideally for 38 games
09:16in the league.
09:17If you have those two things
09:18you have a much better chance.
09:19I'm not going to give you
09:20the title
09:21but you have much better chance.
09:22Without any of those two
09:23you look historically
09:24what happened
09:25over the last hundred years.
09:26there's no one single team
09:27that's done it.
09:28Last one for me.
09:29Sometimes I look around
09:30Europe
09:31and clubs that are playing
09:32in Europe
09:33big games.
09:34They helped out
09:35a little bit
09:36by games being put back
09:37to let's say
09:38a Friday night
09:39rather than a Saturday
09:40or even postpone
09:41cancel until later on
09:43to give the team
09:44more chance in Europe.
09:45Are you a little bit
09:46disappointed?
09:47I know you're playing
09:48roughly the same time
09:49as PSG this weekend.
09:50Are you disappointed
09:51that these games
09:52on Friday night
09:53or maybe you shafted
09:54it back a couple of weeks
09:55to give you
09:56as much chance
09:57as possible?
09:58Well, I think
09:59in this context
10:00we have discussed
10:01that many, many times.
10:02We were a bit lucky
10:04because last weekend
10:05we didn't have a game
10:06so I think we cannot
10:07argue in this case
10:08and at least we have
10:09four days
10:10so we'll be very well prepared.
10:12When Liverpool
10:14won the league
10:15last weekend
10:16did you watch
10:17the celebrations?
10:19A small part of it.
10:21Did you sort of
10:22force yourself
10:23to do it?
10:24How do you get motivation
10:25from watching a rival?
10:27No.
10:28I know your colleagues
10:29as well
10:30and I know some
10:31of the people
10:32on the staff
10:33as well
10:34and I know how much work
10:35everybody puts
10:36and listen,
10:37they deserve to win it.
10:38They've done it
10:39in a manner,
10:40in a way
10:41that has given
10:42no chance
10:43to the others
10:44and you have to congratulate.
10:45That's the sport
10:46as well
10:47and you have to accept
10:48the reasons
10:49why you haven't been
10:50able to achieve it
10:51and try to improve.
10:52That's it.
10:53It's not something
10:54that you sort of watch
10:55and remember
10:56and think this is motivation
10:57for next season
10:58or summer?
10:59It can be part
11:00of your motivation.
11:01That's not the biggest part.
11:02My motivations
11:03are much more focused
11:05in other aspects
11:06than that one.
11:07But it hurts to watch it.
11:08That's for sure.
11:09I just want to ask you
11:10about William Saliba.
11:11We've sort of seen recently
11:13how the Real Madrid
11:14machine works
11:15with all the Revoltada
11:16stuff
11:17and it's quite similar
11:18with transfers.
11:19It feels like
11:20the gears are going
11:21through upstairs
11:22in Spain.
11:23Can you sort of nip all
11:24that in the bud
11:26and say
11:27that he's not going
11:28to go anywhere
11:29this summer?
11:30I leave those
11:31kind of things
11:32more for Andre
11:33and the club
11:34to talk about.
11:35What I'm certain
11:36because I had
11:37a conversation
11:38with him
11:39that he's so happy
11:40here.
11:41He wants to continue
11:42with us.
11:43What will happen
11:44in the future
11:45are negotiations
11:46and things
11:47that have to take
11:48time and process
11:49and be on top
11:50of them.
11:51I'm quite confident
11:52that William is
11:53very happy here
11:54and that's the place
11:55that he wants to be.
11:56Can I ask you
11:57about Martin
11:58Erdogan?
11:59The last two seasons
12:01he won play
12:02the season award
12:03by Arsenal supporters
12:04and this season
12:05he himself has admitted
12:07has not been his
12:08strongest campaign.
12:09We saw him injured
12:10earlier in the season
12:11and he went through
12:12illness as well
12:13in the mid part
12:14of the season also.
12:15Are they the key
12:16reasons why you think
12:17he's not hit the heights
12:18he had himself
12:19and say it's high standards?
12:22There were many factors.
12:23I think obviously
12:24the injury,
12:25the long-term injury
12:26doesn't help
12:27to give you the consistency
12:28and the platform
12:29to continue in the season.
12:30But yeah,
12:31it's very difficult.
12:32The level of consistency
12:33he's shown is unbelievable.
12:34For an attacking player
12:35to be constantly there
12:36is very rare
12:37because there's always
12:38ups and downs
12:39especially the players
12:40that are very creative
12:41and they rely on
12:43on a spark
12:44and creative moments
12:45in game.
12:46But there are other
12:47aspects of his games
12:48that remain intact
12:50and he continues
12:51to do every week.
12:52A couple of years ago
12:53we saw Fabio Vieira
12:54came in
12:55and added some depth
12:56there.
12:57Vieira left obviously
12:58in the summer alone.
12:59Is that a position
13:00in the attacking midfield
13:01area that you'd like
13:02more compared to depth?
13:03Perhaps if there's
13:04a chance to rotate players
13:05or to fit players out?
13:06We have a lot of options
13:07there.
13:08Mikel can play
13:09in that position.
13:10Declan.
13:11We have Ethan
13:12there.
13:13That is his main position.
13:14We have players
13:15that can play
13:16in that position.
13:17We have Max
13:18coming up as well.
13:19Very soon as well.
13:20So I think
13:21we are good
13:22in the position.
13:23Jordan?
13:24You've talked
13:26about the role
13:27of injured players
13:28and the fact
13:29that you feel
13:30that no one's speaking
13:31about the fact
13:32that Arsenal are still
13:33with Liverpool's
13:34closest rivals this year.
13:35Do you think
13:36if you were able
13:37to finish second again
13:38for the third year in a row
13:39that because of the injuries
13:40you've had
13:41this would actually be
13:42a bigger achievement
13:43in the last two seasons?
13:44I don't know.
13:45It's not for me as well
13:46really to judge.
13:47I'm going to have
13:48a very clear opinion
13:49because I see
13:50what having those issues,
13:54the impact of that
13:55because you just think
13:56the impact
13:57of what happens
13:58on the pitch
13:59on the day
14:00and they are much bigger
14:01than that.
14:02The numbers that we have
14:03trained with this season
14:04I've never experienced
14:05it before in my life.
14:06But there's a lot
14:07of learnings to take
14:08and a lot to take
14:09to the team,
14:10to the club
14:11as well to learn
14:12and a lot of things
14:13especially that are
14:14going to make us
14:15much better.
14:16a lot of people have
14:17had to step up
14:18when people have been
14:19missing.
14:20One of those is
14:21Kiwio with Gabriel.
14:22When you speak
14:23to people about Kiwio
14:24they always say
14:25he's a really quiet guy
14:26sometimes a little bit
14:27and so we have to
14:28take these other clubs.
14:29Have you seen a difference
14:30in him in his confidence
14:31and how he carries himself
14:32the last month?
14:33He's so likeable,
14:35you know, everybody
14:36really loves him
14:37in that dressing room.
14:38He's very vocal
14:39on the pitch,
14:40you know,
14:41he has obviously had
14:42a language barrier
14:43when he joined us.
14:44Now he's much more
14:45open with the boys
14:47and he gets on really
14:48well with everybody
14:49so I'm very happy
14:50with him.
14:52Kevin, I'll just ask
14:53you name-checked Max there.
14:55Is he part of
14:56when you're doing
14:57your squad planning
14:58for next season?
14:59Is he someone
15:00you factor into?
15:01For the near future,
15:02yeah.
15:03I think let's see
15:04how this evolves
15:05but we certainly
15:06got a big,
15:07big talent there.
15:09Can I just ask you
15:10one on Bournemouth.
15:11In terms of the teams
15:12you could play
15:13for PSG.
15:14Are they actually
15:15quite a good side
15:16given if you look
15:17at the way they press
15:18I think they're close
15:19to the best in the Premier League.
15:20They might offer you
15:21something similar
15:22to what you'll get
15:23from PSG in terms
15:24of the starting team.
15:25Certainly in terms
15:26of intensity
15:27and how they approach
15:28every duel
15:29in their way of playing
15:30they are a bit different.
15:32They want to achieve
15:33things that are very
15:34similar to PSG
15:35in certain ways.
15:36So yeah,
15:37it's not to practice
15:38about them,
15:39it's just to be
15:40very efficient
15:41and very good
15:42to play the way
15:43that we want.
15:44Just quickly,
15:45on Calafiore,
15:46Jorginho and Kai,
15:47there's no chance
15:48of any of them
15:49making the second leg
15:50next week?
15:51I wouldn't rule
15:53all of them
15:55all of them
15:56I think.
15:57Let's see
15:58in the next few days
15:59how a few will react.
16:00finish it.