For the penultimate time this season, Mikel Arteta held his pre-match press conference ahead of the visit of Newcastle United on Sunday.
The media gathered at the Sobha Realty Training Centre 48 hours before the Magpies head south for Premier League action, with both teams still in contention for the runners-up spot this season.
Here is everything Mikel had to say:
on if Kai Havertz could be involved:We're going to decide that tomorrow. He's done certain parts of the sessions in the last two days and looks in great shape, but I think it's more of a shout for all the medical staff, the doctor especially to give the clearance and then how Kai actually feels to contribute if he's required.
on how much credit Kai deserves for getting back quickly:It’s unbelievable, his work rate and the work that he's done. A lot of credit to the medical staff for the work that they've done throughout the last few months because between them they've been pushing each other. We know how important Kai is for us, and the fact that he looks in great shape, I think he's improved a lot of the metrics that are very important for a striker to give himself the best chance. You see the transformation in him, which has been really impressive.
on injury updates for Rice, Trossard, Martinelli and Timber: They've done parts of the session, not a complete session, so we're going to have to wait and see tomorrow if they can deal with things that they haven't done because they weren't ready to that at the end of the week.
Read more Gallery: Open training at Emirates Stadium
on how deep the players have had to dig this season:It's been a phenomenal effort from all of them, understanding the circumstances. It's our last home game, and it's always a very special occasion. It's our chance to wrap up the Champions League, to put ourselves in a really strong position for the second place, and in a way to say thank you again to all of our supporters for the amazing season. They've been on every journey, in every ground, making the effort to travel with us everywhere and at home as well. I think it's one of the best days in the season when you have to just say thank you to them and they can say what they feel as well about the team.
on if the players have one more big performance in them:They do - not one, we need two, and now we're going to start with that one. We're going to need a big one and be very clinical because we know the qualities of Newcastle. We know the results that we had lately against them and how thin the margins are with them and especially how clinical we have to be in front of them to score the goals.
on the importance of finishing runners-up:You have to always be as good as you possibly can. The dream of winning the Premier League this season is gone, so as we said, be the best of the rest and feel that pain to be better.
on players potentially saying their home farewells on Sunday: I wouldn't like to talk specifically about anybody. There are a few cases and we will try to show our gratitude, how much we love them, how much we appreciate the time that we've been together, and hopefully our supporters can do the same with them.
on his feeling reflecting on this season:Until we finish the last game and I get that feeling and some time to analyse, I prefer not to do that exercise yet.
on if Newcastle are a bogey team for us:They’re a very difficult team for any opposition, I think. What Eddie, the staff and as a club they’ve have done over the last few years is remarkable. They've been very, very consistent and very difficult to play against, like we've been.
on what makes Newcastle so difficult to play against:They dominate almost every aspect of the game. They are great when they have to attack a low block and they have a lot of presence in the box. If they need to run set-pieces, run transitions, defend a low block or if the game has to get physical, they are ready to do that. The way they compete, they are smart. They try to take advantage of a lot of things like any good team, and you have to dominate a lot of things, even if you're not on top of the table in this league.
Read more Relive 6 memorable home wins against Newcastle
on how special has the atmosphere been at Emirates Stadium this season:I think it's growing and growing and that's what we want to do. I think we have raised expectations so much and we understand what they want. We want it more than anybody else and the journey makes sense when you have that support, that love and that chemistry between the people that feel very attached to this club, the players and the staff and I think that's the case, but we know that we all want much more.
on if increased expectations leads to increased pressure:It has to be and especially internally. I think it is how much you demand of yourself and how much we demand of the person next to him and the crowd and the supporters is always a big measure as well because it has to exist, that connection but as well that demand between all of us to be better. Then we will get better at the small margins that can define winning big trophies or not.
on if we have any regrets this season:I wouldn't use that word. I think you probably have regrets in your life and anything that you do in professional life as well when you haven't done your best. I can guarantee and give you my word that we have all tried our very best. If you ask if we wanted a different outcome, especially with how close we’ve come again, then the answer is yes. But that doesn't undermine a lot of incredible things that this team has done again in the context that we play, against the opposition that we play, with the circumstances that we had. It's impossible to undermine. on whether he gets credit for how far he’s brought us over the last five years:I don't know but it's not something I'm looking for. I'm looking to give my very best to facilitate and to give my vision, my work and bring people together to get this club as far as we possibly can, as quickly as possible. I guarantee you that's what I've been doing for the last five years of my life.on if William Saliba has developed into the player we thought he would:Yes and I think he's on an amazing trajectory. I think when you look in Europe, centre-backs, at the stage to do what he's already done in the game, there are not that many. There are a lot of factors that have contributed to that, the first one is him, his character, his professionalism how much he demands himself. The second is the environment that he's got around him, especially the players that he plays with, the way they look after him, the way they promote and hide the qualities and weaknesses of a player, and there's still much more to come from him.
Read more Saliba could make history on 100th PL appearance
on if this is a big summer for Max Dowman and Jack Porter with England U17s:Talking to them, it’s the biggest tournament that exists in the world! When you play for your country at that level, it doesn't get much better than that. I'm really happy for those two and hopefully they can have an amazing tournament and bring it home.on Myles Lewis-Skelly not being nominated for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year award:That's nothing to do with me, the nominations. We know what Myles has done this season. I think the sample size of what he's done is very, very short and now it's about proving that you can do it every month, every three months, every six months, every year, every two years, three years and that's the most difficult thing in football. Consistency at every level in performances, in your behaviour, in continuously developing your game, and contributing to winning football matches. It's not about you and Myles is certainly in the right trajectory.on what working with Andrea Berta has been like in comparison to Edu:Very good, they’re two very completely different personalities, characters and backgrounds. But he’s someone who’s very driven and very clear in his ideas, vision and how we want to achieve it, and very supportive of everything that's been done here, with a lot of people who have contributed massively to the position that we are today as a club. The squad that we have, the players and the staff that we have, and he’s ready to add value and make us better. That's the reason why we've chosen him to be here with us.on if we’re fully aligned on what we want to do in the summer:On what we have to do, yes. On what we can do, I don't know. I think sometimes from the plan that we had, and actually what we're able to execute, we've never been able to replicate it exactly. This is football, it happens to every football club, that's why we plan certain ways and okay, if we cannot do it, we do something else. I think the aim is clear but then you have to just do it slowly, thing by thing and start to achieve it. A big part of that as well is keeping and making sure that the players that are here are happy, they feel valued and they are willing to continue with us. That's very, very important.
Read more Arsenal launch new adidas 2025/26 home kit
on if we’re not fully aligned on the players we want:If that happens that means that we cannot explain ourselves well enough and we are not clear enough on what we want, and I guarantee you that hasn't happened. It didn't happen in five-and-a-half years with Edu and I guarantee you [the same] with Andrea. They are good to say: “Mikel, look this and this is what we need,” and I say go for it and do it. If not it's because I will ask that many questions and we will do so much work that it will be so evident that this is what we don't have to do, it's not going to fit. We have learned a lot, some of them that have worked really well and others not and that's for the ones as well that we have to learn so well to make sure that we make the right calls but we are all human beings and fortunately nobody's got a crystal ball here!
on if the hierarchy of the top six has gone:I think the level has gone to something bigger than what we experienced in the previous 12 months last season and past experience. I know a lot of the coaches and we had discussions about that, so it's frightening the way it's evolving, how competitive it is, how difficult it is to win. The margins for why you win or don't win in the Premier League is incredible so next season is going to be even more difficult.
on if Newcastle could be in the conversation of title contenders next season:Yeah, they’ve certainly built the squad, they have the quality and a very clear identity. On top of that, it would be very dependent on if teams are in Europe or not in Europe, playing once a week or three times a week. That's a massive change as well and we have all experienced that.
on if we’re relieved not to be involved in the Club World Cup in the summer:We would love to be part of that certainly, but with the way the squad is at the moment, with the numbers that we have, that would put so much stress again on the squad. It’s not a choice, we are not in it but we have to plan the squad that we're going to have to have available if we want to win these competitions, and we certainly have to evolve.
on if the new transfer window creates an opportunity for us to exploit:There is an opportunity, if you can use it to your benefit, do it. We are very much aware of that, and we'll see what we can do.
Read more Help Rice win Premier League Player of the Season
on what we’re planning to do another camp in pre-season:Yeah, the players are demanding it. Nowadays, I think it's impossible to have four, five, six weeks on your sunbed putting suncream on and just ordering drinks! Six weeks later and go full gas, tour and play 65 games, I think it's impossible. They demand themselves to be in the best possible condition, and we are really lucky because we have boys that they want to spend the summer with their families and with them so they want to be together as well, so if they can pick a place that we can do that we can facilitate that, more than welcome to do that.
on if we’d like to get business done early:On paper, I think every club, every manager and every player wants to be in the building on day one and get that transition and that adaptation as quickly as possible. The reality is that sometimes it's possible and sometimes it's very difficult but it is the ideal scenario on paper.
on if it’s taken for granted that we qualify regularly for the Champions League:I think you ask any manager at the end of the season: ‘can you promise to be in the Champions League next season?’, I don't know who is going to say yes to that, so that tells you the story. We know the difficulties, but we understand the expectations and how people think but to get sustainability, stability and to be in the best possible position as a football club, as a squad, as a team, certainly you have to be in that competition.
on Arsene Wenger saying that being in the top four is like winning a trophy:I don’t know how those words were used in the past, so I'm not going to fall into that trap!
Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.