Yes, man. We're back in it. Right. Welcome to
HYBR1D, Powered by chinkseyMEDIA. Once again,
we are back for the post -match presser between
Newcastle United and Arsenal. After seeing us
overturn what looked like another loss at Newcastle
United into three points, Mikel Arteta headed
to his post -match press conference. In a good
mood. He was asked about his emotions after an
exhilarating game, key decisions in it, cutting
the gap at the top and much more. Here is everything
he had to say. On getting the result late on.
Unbelievable feeling. That's what football is
about and a team. When you get what you deserve
right at the end, it's not a better feeling than
that. Unbelievable result. Yeah, I mean, this
is the type of landmark result which befits champions.
You've seen Liverpool get a number of those this
season. As me and Rakim spoke about, their get
-out -of -jail -free card, they've used it a
number of times. Well, we used ours today. In
a game that I felt we dominated from start to
finish, it looked like one of them hard luck
stories, you know, having all the ball, having
all the chances, bad luck, bad refereeing decisions,
and we lose 1 -0 in the narrow margin. We had
a few of them last season. However, we dug in,
we continued to keep grinding in what was a gruelling
match. I felt we managed to make telling substitutions.
Tactical changes. You know, Arteta changed things
in the second half where I didn't know who was
playing where. You know, I gather he was probably
playing Rice in the back four. And he had people
like Martinelli on one wing, Trossard on the
other. He had Marino on. He just threw the kitchen
sink at it. And he came up trumps, really. So
the main thing is we got the three points. We've
got those. Tough six games out of the way over
to Liverpool to have their tough run of games,
you know. We've got a tough game against Olympiakos.
I watched them yesterday get a late winner in
the Greek League. The thing about Olympiakos
is the fact that you get a sense that they're
the arsenal of the Greek League, wherein they
can just score when they want. So basically,
they won 3 -2. Both occasions when the opponent
equalized, they scored within five minutes after
that. So it just showed that they were playing
within themselves for most of the game. However,
when they come to the Emirates, it's going to
be a different game. But yeah, it's good to get
the three points. Now we're in a situation where
if we can go and beat West Ham, who is another
bogey team of ours, especially at home. We've
lost the last two there. we will go above Liverpool.
When, you know, some people were saying that
the league was over. How quickly things change
in football, eh? On his heart rate before the
winning goal was given, I'd seen the action very
clear and fast. So I thought the referee wasn't
going to intervene, but I don't know because
obviously we had the example of what happens
in the first half with the penalty. Regardless
of that, I'm so proud of the team, the way we
played, the way we competed, the way we understood
the game, how we reacted to very difficult situations
and decisions and still found a way to win the
game with the players coming from the bench.
Exceptional. giving a little dig at the ref.
Yeah, I mean, the players were angry. I feel
that they were feeling sorry for themselves after
the decision was overturned to give the penalty
for a foul on Victor Jocarez. I felt personally
it was a penalty. But, you know, when you have
such decisions go against you, you've got to
kind of get your head together. So I'm happy
that it happened before halftime so Arteta can
kind of... get it out of the players' heads because
you could see it was frustrating. People like
Saka, Gabriel and things like that. It was getting
under their skin. So at halftime, we can kind
of get back, regroup, you know, and I had 45
minutes to kind of know what the assignment was,
which is to get two goals and win the game. And
we did. On his reaction throughout an up -and
-down game, we're understanding that that's the
game that we have to play. There are a few things
that might be unpredictable with the line -up
or the formation or whatever. There are certain
things that are so predictable, what you have
to do here to win a football match. We certainly
did that from the start to the end. And on top
of that, we added today so much quality from
various ways to generate the amount of chances
that we did. At the end, we found a way to win
when I think we fully deserve to win the game.
I don't think that's within any doubt. We dominated
that game. But the thing is, it actually was
similar to games at St. James in recent years,
especially the ones we've lost in. where there
was not many clear -cut chances. We obviously
dominated possessions on all occasions. However,
they were missing that little spark of quality.
Alexander Isak, who's been our chief tour mentor
over the last two, three years. So him not being
there kind of made me confident going into the
game, especially after I saw that starting line
-up, that we would join Barcelona and Liverpool
in the teams to beat. newcastle at st james's
park and incidentally it's actually um i don't
know if it's a good or bad thing on newcastle
fans is from newcastle fans point of view the
fact that their three home losses this season
have come against three teams that are definitely
in the top five best teams in europe you know
barcelona arsenal liverpool and probably psg
and real madrid are the top five sides in europe
so newcastle have you know they've been ousted
on all three occasions anyway that's just a thing
that i noticed during the game on how good last
minute winners feel mentally we discussed to
go to the next level first of all you have to
learn from the past and certainly we take some
lessons i'm very different and sore moments in
this ground. Today was an opportunity that the
game brings you again in a really important week
in the Premier League after all the tough places
that we've already been very early in the season
to show who we are, who do we want to be, our
ambition, and the way that we want to play. I
think the team has done that today in a remarkable
way. Yeah, I mean, I felt in the first half,
we played some really, really exceptional football.
Probably... Our best football of the season,
maybe, perhaps, given taking into account opposition,
I would say is our best football of the season.
You know, we played really good football. And
I did actually say in a number of my post -match
interviews that this stodgy pedestrian so -called
style of play. It's because we're forced into
it. You know, this long throw type of thing,
the corners, the set pieces, it's just a way
to prize open your position. But I feel like
the way that we want to play is the way we played
in the first half. And we've shown it on a number
of occasions last season where when we're at
our best, we are a formidable opponent. Ask PSG.
I mean, I still maintain to this day. that I
felt we are a better team than PSG and I felt
we were the better team against PSG. It's just
a poor 20 minutes to 30 minutes and them scoring
against the run of play in Paris was the reason
we wasn't in that final. But hopefully we can
meet again at some point and put that right.
On the Jokeres penalty decision, I watched it
live and then I watched it on the screen and
for me, it was a penalty. We were instructed
very clearly again this season that unless it's
a clear and obvious error, the VAR is not going
to intervene. It's not. So that's my opinion.
Thank God we found a way to win the game. The
team is still emotionally very calm and very
composed. And that's a lesson that we took as
well, probably from a few years ago. I mean,
yeah, I agree that was a penalty. I feel like
the journalist is probably trying to provoke,
you know. A headline out of Arteta criticising
the referee. Yeah, it was a penalty. I did, like
I said earlier already, I felt it did affect
some of the players, especially Saka, Gabriel.
It rattled them and they needed half -time to
get their heads together and get themselves back
in a mental, clear state of mind where they can
focus on finding a route back into the game as
opposed to dwelling on that decision which went
against us. But having said that, it's good to
show that despite adversity, we can kind of still
dig in and get what we need to do out of the
game. And now we don't need to visit St. James'
Park for another season, at least in a league
that is. And we've got a good run of fixtures
coming up. They were against a few sides that
have caused us issues in the last few years,
namely Fulham and West Ham. So hopefully we can
go on a run now and really... try and push for
this title. And, you know, I think I checked
the odds before the game and had Liverpool as
slight, slight, slight, slight favourites at
7 -4, whereas we were 15 -8. That's like a little
fraction above us. That was before the game.
So now... You could argue the title is in our
hands because if we were to win every single
game this season, we win the league. It will
probably have us neck and neck. I will have a
look after this podcast, but it's close. You
know, it's close. Don't forget Liverpool now
have to come to the Emirates. They've got to
go to Stamford Bridge next week, whereas we've
got a home game against West Ham. And also they've
got Manchester United, Galatasaray. Yes, it's
coming thick and fast for them. And I did say
that. I did anticipate this situation because
they haven't been playing well, albeit they have
a lot of quality and they're a formidable side.
And I expect them to be with us till the end.
But I believe in us to take it to them. And for
me, it's 50 -50. It's six to one half, a dozen
to the other. It makes for a great title race
and I'm all for it. On closing the gap on the
league leaders, speaking of the league leaders,
I believe the conviction of the team that we
are and that we can play various types of games
and the team can still deliver and win it in
a convincing way. For me, today is one of the
most difficult grounds. Again, praise to Newcastle,
the way they play, compete, how difficult it
is to play in this place. But the team really
took the game to a different level. And I'm very
proud to see that. Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's good
to have like those tough games out of the way,
like the Old Traffords, the Anfields, the St.
James's, places that we traditionally do badly
at. But it's now about... Getting over the also
-rans, the type of teams that would lose narrowly
to or draw to in recent years, Fulhams and the
West Ham's and the Bournemouth's and the Crystal
Palace's, the mid -table type of sides have all
improved. So it's about being able to break them
down, break down the lower blocks. And that's
where people like Eze and Odegaard coming into
the team and changing the way we're playing and
the way we're attacking the opponents is going
to play a pivotal role, I think. Ebeleche Eze
is going to be vital in these type of games.
So we just need to kind of make sure he's as
confident as possible, as fit as possible. People
like Nwanyeri as well will be vital for these
type of games. So I think we will learn a lot
about Arsenal now, especially in the coming weeks
and months where... We've got a clear run of
games now, so there's no excuses about having
a tough start to the season because we've kind
of got over the worst as we speak. On substitutes
making a difference, we certainly did that and
I would have to make a few adjustments and substitutions
as well for different reasons. The ones that
are coming in, they really come in fully focused.
My duty is to win the game for the team and all
of them did it in an incredible manner. Martinelli
comes in and it shows from the beginning, his
threat. Saliba comes in, 45 minutes, and I think
it was outstanding. Again, Martin comes in after
a long period and delivers two goals that are
goals. Mikel Moreno comes in, which is a massive
threat in the box and delivers a winning moment.
So credit to all of them. That's true. You know,
Mikel Arteta has improved in terms of... The
substitutions, the timings of when he's making
the substitutions and the tactical adjustments
that he's making during games. So in recent weeks,
for instance, at Man City, we've got a late winner,
Martinelli, coming on. Against Athletic Bilbao,
Martinelli, Trossard come on, change the game,
win us the three points. And then also today,
where Mikko Marino comes on. So Odegaard came
on and looked really bright. I'll be real. I've
been a detractor of Odegaard for his performances
in the last year, but I'm no mug. I know what
he is capable of on top form. But the issue is
he hasn't been on top form for a long time. So
if he can continue to play like this, and I like
the way he kind of correlated and dovetailed
well with Ebereche Eze. I mean, that is a formidable
duo if those two can get a kind of connection
going. So, yeah, I mean, Odegaard's probably
played himself into the starting line -up for
Olympiacos on Wednesday. So hopefully he can
play himself into some form. And, yeah, it's
looking really bright for Arsenal right now.
On whether there was more pressure on us today
given other results. There are moments in the
season and obviously with the start that we had
already and the difficult fixtures that we had
today, we had the opportunity to close that gap
and do it in a stadium that has a very recent
and difficult path for us. I think it shows how
much the team wants it. Yeah, I mean, I saw before
the game the teams that have done damage to Arteta
and not surprisingly, Man City were top with
five. So Man City have... Arteta has lost five
times at Man City, but second on that list was
St. James' Park with four. I'm not sure if I'm
surprised, surprised by it, but it goes to show
that Arteta has done really well at grounds like
Anfield, Old Trafford, which you probably would
have thought would have been second. But St.
James' Park has been a real, real bogey ground
for Arteta and Arsenal in the last few years
because... With the exception of the last three,
four years, we had a formidable record against
Newcastle as a whole, whether it be in at home
or in Sir James's Park. So for us to arrest that
poor record and get a win there, it means now
we've beaten them twice in a row in a league
and also three times in a row in recent months,
if you include the friendly in the summer. On
potentially silencing any critics, I don't know.
I think the way we played against Manchester
City and Newcastle, two of the teams were outstanding.
That's my view on it. Very clear. Well, Mikel,
there's only one way to silence the critics.
The Boo Boys are on mute right now. But whenever
we draw a game or whenever we don't win, they'll
be out on full force. There's only one way to
silence the critics and that's in May. Not even
February, March, because the Carabao Cup will
not suffice. There's only one way to silence
those critics, and that is lifting major honours
in May. By the way, I just want to thank everyone
that's downloading my podcast, which enabled
me to get ads on my podcast in a very efficient
and quick manner. I'm so grateful. Please keep
streaming. Keep sharing, keep liking, keep subscribing
and I'll keep these podcasts flying through and
I'll do more and more podcasts and I'll keep
them more frequent. Bless.