Here is every word from Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League match with Aston Villa
12:00, 29 Dec 2025Updated 12:00, 29 Dec 2025
Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta during the press conference ahead of match with Aston Villa
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has previewed the Gunners' clash with Aston Villa(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta faced the media ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League title-defining clash with Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners were beaten by Unai Emery’s side less than a month ago.
Arteta spoke to the press in the wake of yet another narrow victory in the league as a Martin Odegaard goal, and Georginio Rutter own goal gave the Gunners a 2-1 win. With days until the January transfer window opens, this was yet another focus of the Spaniard’s press conference too.
Updates on team news were provided after the game with Brighton as both Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori were unable to play. Although Arteta did welcome Gabriel Magalhaes back to the squad who is now in contention to start.
Here is every word from the press conference:
A huge game against Villa coming up, you're having a great run of goals going in your favour at the moment, is that good luck or is that a sign of the pressure you're putting your focus on?
Well, that's what we want, that every opponent that comes here suffers, and we are as dominant as we were today for the majority of the game and against Villa we have a really tough match we know them, what they’re doing and a beautiful game as well to prepare and play.
And it's not long since you played Villa and lost to them, what leads to a change and what did you learn from that game?
We'll watch it back, I have a few ideas and things that we have to do better, and it was quite cruel as well the way we lost it, but yeah, we learned from it.
We know how much the club invested in the summer and how deep the squad is, when players are fit, but players aren't fit at the back, and January is coming around quite soon, is there a chance you think you can look in January for maybe more defensive options?
I don't know, we're going to be really, obviously, aware of the situation and the timescale of certain players, if going from the front line then to the back line, but that's the depth that you need, and when you look across the other clubs as well, they have 24, 25 squad players, and so there's nothing especially in our squad, the thing is that although we have more injuries than expected, some of them not avoidable I would say, but we want to be better and we know how important the part of having the right availability with players going to play in this season.
So you don't feel like the squad is full, there's space for more if you need it?
Depending, as I said, on the availability of certain players, so the window is there, I mean, we're Arsenal and we have to be looking at it, OK, ‘What do we need?’ And we have to be actively looking, and then can we do it or not, that's a different story, but our job is to be always very prepared because something can happen, so hopefully very positive.
There's obviously a feeling that it'll be between Arsenal and Manchester City for the title, obviously they're in third position, do you think that they are genuine title contenders with you and Manchester City?
Well, they're meant to be there, look what they are doing and how consistent they've been, what Unai has done with the club, so I think they fully deserve that credit because they are doing it on the pitch where you have to show your level.
And just one on Viktor, it's now seven games without a goal in open play, are you concerned at all about that? I know you've spoken about him a lot, but is that...?
Yeah, because we want him to score, obviously he had a few chances today, a few great positions, the ball didn't arrive, so... Keep insisting, it's the only way.
Just on transfers, in terms of outgoings, given we've seen a situation where players can go down, would it make you reluctant to let anyone leave the club in January?
Again, we assess every situation. I leave that much more to Andrea [Berta] to understand what's happening in the market and then, individual players. Obviously, we have to assess where we are with each of them and get the best situation.
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And with the Villa game I'm watching back, you said there it can be cruel, but can sometimes for the players that be a good thing to watch back?
If you use that motivation and that hunger in the right manner, for sure.