Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the press ahead of our Champions League clash against Kairat Almaty at Emirates Stadium.
We take on the Kazakhstan champions in N5, looking to finish off the league phase with a perfect record before the knockout stage starts in March.
In his press conference at the Sobha Realty Training Centre, Mikel reflected on bouncing back from our defeat against Manchester United, injury news and much more.
Read every word below, with a video of the full press conference to follow shortly!
on the reaction to Sunday’s defeat: The reaction has been excellent. We took a moment to bring the temperature down, to pause, to reflect and ask two questions. One is how do we feel, and how do I feel myself, and then how we want to live the next four months. It was so encouraging and beautiful, because what came out of there is very simple. We have earned the right to be in a great position in four competitions, and in the next four months we’re going to live and play with enjoyment, with a lot of courage and with the conviction that we’re going to win it. This is going to be the mindset and where we’re going to put the energy. I’m just hoping that everybody that is related to this club, especially our supporters, jump on that boat because this is the way that we’re going to live the next four months because we deserve to live like this.
on how we did that reflection: Together with the players, it was just a conversation about that. First of all, because I told them how good they are and how grateful we are to share every single day with them and the position to realise where we are, and just make sure that we enjoy with a lot of conviction that it’s going to happen because it’s our moment and we really want it.
on his message to our supporters at the stadium: That’s why I encouraged them to jump in this boat because it’s going to be fun, because the excitement, that conviction, that energy, that will, is the way you have to live when you want to achieve a dream, when you want to achieve something that you play for 10 months, because out of that, a lot of incredible things are going to emerge. Some of the things that we cannot even imagine, and, for me, that’s the only way to live it, because we’re going to give absolutely everything, we’re going to prepare in the best possible way and the best chance to deliver what we want is putting all the energy and channelling the energy into that direction.
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on if Saliba and Timber are available: No, those are not.
on bringing the temperature down: No, it was because of the hectic schedule. So we played four away games in four different competitions, and it was a moment to pause and see who we are, what are we doing, and I said okay, four months, how we want to actually live that, and it’s just beautiful what is ahead. So we’re going to live with a lot of enjoyment. I’m very convinced because this team and these players have given us every reason to believe that the outcome is going to be really good.
on if it was always planned to have that meeting after the United game:Yes, we do it every 3-4 weeks, international breaks. It's really important to understand the reality versus the perspective and sometimes you have to look with the microscope and then you have to put the telescope in. You have to be able to see everything with clarity because, at the end, it's that energy is very important that we need to use in the right way.
on not having one player scoring many more goals than the rest:I don't know. But I saw a lot of incredible talks about the team and individuals when we won in Milan, three days before. It's a beautiful thing about this game. Same players, same team.
on if the team needs to get more out of our attacking players:We want those numbers to be higher, but as well I think we are three goals away from the best team. So we are not that far, so the margins are still very small. We want to be the best in every stat, but it's very important that we can read the stats in a manner that is useful for us and especially for our players.
on Saka’s run of games without a goal:Yeah, look at the last 200 games, for instance, it's pretty simple.
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on if this is the moment to start looking at the finish line:I think it's still very early. The amount of games that we have in so many different competitions. That's going to be in the last five or six games I would say. When you're talking different competitions, I'm talking about the Premier League, the Champions League. The moment you are in those semi-finals, then you are very, very close. That we are in the semi-finals and we have one game to play against Chelsea, that's a different story. But up to then, as I said, it's putting the energy in the things that are going to make us better.
on the challenge of the tight schedule:It's been like this for the first seven months of the competition, whether it was the domestic league and Champions League, or with international players playing for their countries as well. So there is nothing new. The good news is that we have some players back as well now that are going to be helping us and we are so used to it. So that's never going to be an excuse.
on if Saliba and Timber are being rested or if they have injury issues:No, they have some niggles and it's a good opportunity now that we make a different kind of work with them to get them in the best possible conditions so that we can help them.
on how difficult it is to make the games fun:It's part of the enjoyment to be at the table in these conversations, in this incredible competition, that's where we want to be. If not, you know we have to go out and do something else. I mean, if we don't enjoy where we are as a club, if we prefer what we were six years ago or 10 years ago. Let's enjoy the moment, and let's embrace it, and let's make sure that we get the most out of that, and the only way to do it is daily.
on if the margin for error this season is bigger in the Premier League:Or smaller. It means that any team can beat you, and you see the difficulty of winning every game in the competition. So it depends how you look at it.
on if it’s fun to have such a big squad:It's very enjoyable. They make it enjoyable for the type of characters that we have, but as well the way they live their profession and how much they want to win with us, and that's the only way. It's not about the numbers; it's about the quality of the numbers and the players that we have. The same with the staff.
on why our forwards have been lacking goals and what needs to change:It's clear, every situation, every player is different. Obviously the level of efficiency that we showed in certain actions, it hasn't helped to raise those numbers higher. Some others because we need to produce probably more for them as well. So it's a combination of different factors. But it's a positive way to look at it; even without this, look where we are. So we're going to try to undo that and improve in that area and then the margin will be bigger.
on what he knows about Kairat Almaty:Well, obviously, it's the Champions League, so every opponent is very tough because they are very used to winning. That's first of all. Obviously, the conditions that they are coming are special because of where they are in the domestic league as well. Looking back at the games that they played against Real Madrid or Inter, for example, I watched both of them. They make it very, very difficult for them. So tomorrow we expect a very similar game. We have to be at our best because we want to win the game again and we'll go for it.
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on supporters carrying the scars of previous seasons:It's a possibility but we cannot control that. What happened in the past has to be very powerful to learn for the future. That's the only way you can take it and in life, there are many examples of that. You have to keep trying and giving your very best to try to achieve what you want and, if not, or very best that you are able to achieve, because maybe somebody else is better and you have to accept, because this is a sport as well. That's it. We all channel the energy and live the moment and the next four months in that manner. It's going to be much more enjoyable, beautiful and the outcome will be very, very good.
on if Odegaard could lose the captaincy to another player:No, the minutes [he plays] as well are related because obviously he had two shoulder injuries and he was out for six weeks with a knee injury as well. We have the possibility to change games and the games maybe require something different and every player is very important to be able to achieve that.
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