Mikel Arteta faced the media following his side’s 9-3 aggregate victory over PSV Eindhoven. Arsenal move on to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League where they will face a trip to Madrid.
Goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice were enough to prevent a home defeat as Arteta rotated his side heavily ahead of the weekend match with Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta will be pleased to see some quality on show from his fringe players.
Naturally, Raheem Sterling’s double in assists provided the main focus along with a look ahead to the next round. Here is every word from the press conference as Arteta faced the media:
**Is that a surreal atmosphere? Did it feel a bit like a phony war tonight?**
Well, it's obvious that with the result that we had from the first leg that it wasn't going to be full, but there we had to continue and do the work in the manner that we wanted to finish the competition. Unfortunately, we haven't managed to win the game, but we decided to make a lot of rotation as well. You could say in the second half that we were tired, we were late to be much more dominant in the opposition half and were more consistent, especially when we didn't have the ball. But overall, very happy, because we are after the second consecutive season in the Champions League quarter-finals. We're going to travel to Madrid, but unfortunately we don't know who our opponents are.
**I must have been very pleased with Raheem Sterling's performance for most of the game until the very end when he got booked. He's going to miss the first leg.**
Yeah, I was very happy for him and for a lot of individuals as well that they haven't had a lot of minutes recently. You could tell in the second half that we lacked the physical capabilities to make certain efforts and arrive to certain spaces at the right time. But overall, very happy that they got the minutes and they responded.
**With Raheem, did you see his confidence coming back after he was involved in the first goal and then he really looked back to his old self?**
Yeah, in the second one. Then it was the last final action as well that he can score. The third goal and the keeper makes a save. The way he tried back as well as to the corner in the last action when he got booked. That's the kind of play that we want to see.
**When you first came back to club as manager, I think this is one of the aims to get Arsenal consistently qualifying for the latter stages. How proud are you that you're managing to do that now consistently? I think it's the first time in 15 years that you've done it back to back.**
That tells you the difficulty of it. We have to value that and recognise that it is very difficult to do it. We've done it consistently and now we want to make the next step, which is going to be really difficult. But we are very capable of that.
**Do you have any preference?**
No, because they are so different, both the managers, the styles, the managers, the history of them. We know about the difficulty for sure, but I cannot tell you one other thing. Tom, a couple of them?
**Zinchenko on the score sheet as well tonight, playing in perhaps the most advanced role we might have seen him in, in that attacking midfield position. Striking from outside the box, Martin Odegaard, there's been a lot of focus around his ball-striking this season as well. Is that the type of scenario that you'd like, Martin, to get into what Zini did today and score that type of goal?**
Yeah, and he's done it with Martin as well. I think Alex's finish was great. He's got this ability to carry the ball and those spaces to put the ball in the back of the net. We're really happy because we find another solution as well to fit his qualities and what the team is demanding at the moment. So, really good to have him in that condition.
**What do you feel, Mikel, that you've learned from your experiences from last season's knockout stage of the Champions League that you could take into such an experienced side in either Real or Atletico Madrid?**
Well, the first thing that you have to be at your best when it comes to that. For the two games, for every minute, don't give anything away because they're going to take it. And today we've seen for the two goals that we conceded as well. So, that's a big lesson. And again, when I decided in the boxes, when the real talent, the real performance is crucial. And then creating an unbelievable atmosphere when we have the opportunity to play at home. That is crucial.
**Can you tell us why it is important for you to be in the last eight again?**
Why is it important? Because we want to win. And to win, you're going to have to go through the stages. And because the club needs it. We are a club, a team that wants to be the best and wants to be competing with the best clubs in the world. And in order to do that, you have to constantly be there. And it's very difficult. But we've done it for two years in a row. And we have the capacity and the ability to do it even better.
**Myles Lewis-Skelly played in midfield. I just wanted to know if you see him in the long-term in Midfield or at left-back?**
Yeah, both. He can play in both positions. And in relation to the player that he plays as a full-back as well, he can interact and change positions. He played as a six. He was developed in the academy as a six as well. While he's doing this season, it's something new for him. So, yeah, I think he's much more suited to play in Midfield. He's done really well tonight as well. I think he was very consistent in his actions. And I'm really happy about it as well.
**You said you want to get even better than the quarter-finals. How can you do that? Independently from which Madrid side are you going to play?**
Well, last year we played Bayern and with the history of those clubs and how consistent in the last 20, 25 years being there and we were right in there in the former game. We had them under the ropes, they escaped. And when we were there, we were a bit short to get that final stage. Hopefully, we'll learn. We are better than them. And we can make it happen.