In the second part of his pre-Liverpool press conference, Mikel Arteta highlighted Josh Nichols’ qualities, outlined where Gabriel Martinelli — like all of Arsenal’s attackers — can improve, and explained why he’s confident new signing Eberechi Eze can make an instant impact at Anfield on Sunday.
**On whether Josh Nichols can provide cover at right-back in the future…**
He can, but that means that we’ve had more injuries that, hopefully, won’t happen. Josh when he has been with us, and had to compete, he’s done really, really well. And everybody has to feel in the Academy that if anything happens, they have to be ready, and go for it.
**On what Josh Nichols could bring to the team…**
I think naturally when you look at his physicality, and then the capacity he has to win the ball back and not get passed, especially when he’s isolated one versus one, he’s very impressive. He needs to stay fit as well this season. It’s a very important season for him, I think. And let’s see how he does.
**On wanting more end product from Martinelli…**
We always want more \[from the players\\, and that every time they are there they pick the right pass and they finalise the action with goals. But efficiency in the final third is a really low outcome and we need to acknowledge that, especially when there is a lot of density around the box. Every player, including Gabi, is trying to increase that efficiency.
**On whether Eze is ready to make an impact on Sunday…**
Yes. I think he will go there, and he’s played there many times, and I think he’s the type of player that loves those scenarios and those moments.
**On Eze being ready to play a leading role…**
I think the moment he starts to play, we will see how the team will react and what connections will flourish from his interventions. I’m very confident. He’s played in the league so many years, he knows the league in and out, it’s just adapting to his qualities and making sure that we put him in the right positions as often as possible.
**On whether he’s spoken to Lewis-Skelly about being on the bench so far…**
I always have conversations with players about what to expect, the reasons why they play, or don’t play. And sometimes it’s because there’s another player doing really well, but Myles has been in contention in both games. I think he’s very, very consistent in the way he’s been, and when you don’t play you have to fight to win that place. That’s it.
**On whether Arsenal will have to change their system to accommodate a ‘maverick’ like Eze…**
I think we have to put him in the positions and scenarios that he can deliver those moments. That’s the reason why we brought him here, to give us something different, something unexpected and we will adapt more to whatever is necessary because we know that the outcome of that is really big.