Hello and welcome to HYBR1D Powered by chinkseyMEDIA
As we take on Brighton and Hove Albion
in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, and the
head of the contest, Mikel Arteta has been speaking
to the press. After defeating Port Vale 2 -0
in the third round, we host the Seagulls at the
Emirates Stadium in what will be our 250th encounter
in a competition's history. On William Saliba's
fitness, he's out. We are assessing him, but
he won't be involved in this match. Okay, so
that's pretty blunt. William Saliba is out of
the game tomorrow, but that doesn't mean he won't
be involved in some capacity against Burnley
on Saturday. On Declan Rice, he will be available.
Well, a four -word answer, very blunt. Not messing
around. So Declan Rice is available for contention.
That's not to say he won't start. It's not to
say he'll be in the squad. It's not to say he
won't be on the bench. But I'm going to make
a presumption that he'll be on the bench if not
start. On Riccardo Calafiori, available as well.
Yes. Okay, I'm going to make another presumption.
I think he'll be on the bench. I don't think
he will start the game. For the sake of Miles
Lewis Skelly, who needs game time and deserves
the game time as well. On Gabriel Martinelli.
Yeah, it looks like he's going to be out. We
have to do some more tests and see the extent
of the injury. But this game is going to be too
early for him. Okay. Right, Martinelli is ruled
out for the game tomorrow. On Bakayo Saka. He's
going to be okay. Okay, Mikel's not messing around
today. A lot of very vague, blunt answers. But
I've tipped Saka to start tomorrow. I'll be surprised
if he doesn't. On Danny Welbeck and Brighton.
Very happy for him. We were teammates and the
whole history of him, the good and the difficult
moments he has had in his career. I think it's
remarkable what he's doing. The same with the
team and Fabian Herzler and the coaches, the
continuous work that they've done at that club
is incredible. I think Fabian has added something
slightly different as well and a very well prepared
team. Very difficult to beat them. You've seen
the results against the big teams as well. So
we expect a really tough match. Exactly. And
this is what I was saying over the weekend. I
was saying that fiddle around with the squad
and the team and the starting line -up too much,
you're going to be eliminated because Brighton
are a very good side, you know, more than capable
of holding their own against the toughest sides
in the league. And for me, when they do beat
the toughest sides in the league, it's not necessarily
a scalp. They are capable of doing it. They've
got good players, a good structure. And like
Mikel said, they're a very tough team to beat.
I think for us to give ourselves the best possible
chance of, you know, emerging the victors tomorrow
and going through, we can only make a maximum
of three or four changes, if that. So judging
by what Mikel said in that paragraph, I think
he's going to go strong. It's not going to be
that 11 that the typical fan base will tell you
to choose. The same fan base that if we do lose,
they'll be crying and saying, why did you make
wholesale changes in that game? Wholesale changes
against Brighton will result in elimination.
I'll tell you that now. on if he will make changes
to his side. We're going to try and manage the
minutes and the loads as best as we can because
as you say, we have a lot of games coming up
with a very short recovery time, which is a bit
unusual. but we're going to remain very competitive.
Okay, so he's effectively admitting there will
be changes, but the key three words in that paragraph
are remain very competitive, which means the
only way you can do that is put out a very strong
side. Albeit how good Max Dalman is, I think
if you start him in a game like that against
such... renowned and bestowed opponents that
is taking liberties like i already said albeit
how good the player is however if he's on the
bench and gets minutes towards the end of the
game i'm happy with that if you start him in
a game like that that's probably taking liberties
i think um but yeah Obviously, managing the minutes
of certain players, giving people a rest, but
also maybe kind of the usual starting line -up
can be on the bench. People like Timba, people
like Calafiore, people like Declan Rice, Subhamendi
can be there, can get some game time and share
it with the player that takes his position in
this game. on if he listens to the noise about
our title credentials. That's what we want. I
think when our people are excited and when we
see that the team is competing at that level
consistently, they are the right reasons to believe.
And that's the main thing. You want to win big
trophies. You certainly have to install that
feeling amongst the team, the club and around
it. And we're in a really good position at the
moment. We know how early it is and how difficult
every game is. OK, I'm surprised that Arteta's
inviting the talk around the title and the positivity
that's bestowed around the club, surrounding
the club right now. So obviously he's inviting
it, he's inviting the pressure. He's kind of
not scared to say yeah. We don't mind. You guys
can talk about us in a good light. But at the
end of the day, it's what we do on the pitch.
We've obviously had a similar experience where
we led the table in 22 -23 and it didn't end
well. However, the way we've kind of conducted
our business, all the reasons why we didn't win
the league in previous years, we've kind of catered
for in a sense that we've got a strong squad
now. Whereas in 22 -23, we ran out of steam.
Tomiyasu and Saliba went down. We didn't have
the depth to come in and replace them. However,
that's different now. Also, we've got more experience
from the last three years of finishing second.
You know, you could argue they're probably negative
experiences because we could have had one or
two league titles to our name, but those experiences
will spur us on. And obviously last season where
we had a lot of red cards and injuries. the strong
squad defeats the purpose of injuries, where
we had to have four youth players on the bench
in the Champions League semi -final. That won't
be happening this season, I think it's fair to
say. We probably have four players in the stands.
That's how strong our squad is right now. So
it's good that Mikel is obviously inviting the
pressure on the team and squad. But at the end
of the day, it's all noise and it's what the
players do on the pitch that matters. Everything
else is secondary. on if he feels like a trendsetter
with our set -piece prowess. I don't know, but
a lot of things that we do in many other aspects,
I'm sure teams will pick them up. We do the same
with other teams. The best teams in Europe are
doing certain things. If we can gather information
and then adapt it to your own team, if you find
that this could help and be a way to win more
football matches, more than welcome. That's the
history of humanity. So essentially he's saying...
It's just all a circle, really. We learn from
others, others learn from us, and that's the
way of life. And that's what I do myself. You
know, even in terms of YouTube, I subscribe to
certain channels that you might not expect me
to, but if I can pick up 0 .1 % of what I feel
they're doing that's helping them, I'll take
that on board because I know that I can add it
to my arsenal. Pun intended. Okay. The connection
with our fans. We always want more, but I think
I said it after the match against Palace that
I really liked the atmosphere. It's always tricky
after a big match in midweek against Atletico
to reproduce that, but it certainly was a great
atmosphere to play football. The more we do that,
the more we increase it, the more we maintain
it throughout the game, and the more the team
feels it, the better and stronger we're going
to become and much more difficult for the opponent
to play. Yeah, I mean, we're building up a head
of steam. Obviously, Arteta is not going to criticise
the fans. Sunday wasn't as atmospheric as Wednesday,
but it was almost impossible to replicate that
atmosphere just for so many reasons, in the sense
that Wednesday was such a big game. It's a Champions
League game against a top side. It had the light
scenes at the start of the game as well. However,
Sunday was more kind of... You could say flat,
that might be a strong word, drab probably a
too stronger word, but it's a different context,
different type of game it was. But the main thing
is we won both games in different contexts, as
the manager would like to say. On our forward
options, in the front lines especially, that's
where we have more difficulties as well with
Noni Maduweke, with Kai Havertz out, with Gabby
Jesus out, with Gabby Martinelli out as well.
So that's the area that we have to be more careful
as well, more conscious because we don't have
that many options. So as I said, we're going
to try to manage the load as good as possible
to make sure that the players are fresh, they
can compete really well and the team can maintain
the level that showing well almost you could
almost say that the players we have out right
now mean that it's kind of easier may not necessarily
be easy to predict but easier to predict the
players that you would expect Arteta to put out
for instance on the left we now know it's either
going to be Eze or Trossard unless I'm deeply
mistaken On the right, Bakayo Saka might have
to play, but I think personally he would have
played anyway. And then up front, that's probably
where you could say it might be Jokeres again
or Mourinho, but I personally opted for Jokeres
just for the context of the fact that he's up
against his former side, he needs a goal. And
yeah, I think they're the two main reasons. I
think Mikel Mourinho will be in midfield though.
On the importance of the Carabao Cup. Today,
the most important one, because it's the game
that we have. It's a competition that we haven't
won in many, many years. Yep, 32 years to be
precise. And it has to start tomorrow. We have
to play a great game in order to be able to beat
a very good Brighton side. We know that. We are
prepared for that and we have to show it on the
pitch. Yeah, Brighton have been a really sticky
side for us. They've called us issues over the
years. I mean, generally, they'll get one or
two results against us or any other big side
throughout a season. I'm pretty sure they beat
Man City a couple of times last season. So, yeah,
they're a very sticky, awkward opponent. And
they're the epitome of what you would call a
bogey side or a dark horse. On Ben White's fitness,
yeah, he had a setback and that hasn't helped.
But I think in preseason, he was probably our
best player. I think he played every game and
he was in great form and we need him because
when Ben is at the level that he can show, he's
a top player for us. A player that drives the
team in a different way, gives us a different
threat on that flank as well. And we need him
at his best. Okay, that's interesting. So he
deflected. So Arteta said he had a setback. giving
the impression that he may not play, casting
doubt on his appearance tomorrow. However, if
he plays, it shows that it's more mind games
for Marteta's part. But the fact that he had
to go back almost six months into pre -season
to tell you about when he's last performed well
is a worry. And with Ben White, it's an interesting
one because I said over the weekend that Ben
White, we keep hearing he's rusty and not fit.
But if he's rusty and not fit, then how is he
going to make himself fit if he's rusty and not
fit? So my point is, there's going to come a
time where you just have to put him in from the
start and hope he plays his way into the game.
But is tomorrow that game? That's the question.
What came first, the chicken or the egg? How
does he regain match fitness if he isn't match
fit to start? Now that's the conundrum. On if
he can make the England World Cup squad. There
are still a lot of months to go, and in football,
everything can change one way or the other. And
if Ben wants to do that, if Thomas Tuchel believes
he's the right player to do that, I'm so happy
for him. He will have here, I'm sure, a lot of
minutes, a lot of opportunities, and obviously
his background. Okay, interesting. So you've
played yourself there, Mikel, because you've
said he'll have a lot of minutes. Let me put
it this way. is bona fide starting right back
for us, which means in the league and invariably
in Champions League, he will be starting for
us. So for Ben White to have, I quote from Marteta,
a lot of minutes, a lot of opportunities, you're
essentially saying he's going to be playing in
the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. Right. Now that
begs the question, what does a lot mean? Does
it mean 10 games, 20 games, 15? So now, if you
know that Timber is going to start probably 99
% of the big games and Premier League games,
you're essentially saying Ben White has to hope
that Arsenal get as far as possible in both the
aforementioned cup competitions, in the FA Cup
and the Carabao Cup. So... Are you saying he's
starting tomorrow? Because if he doesn't start
tomorrow, then where does he play? Because let
me give you a scenario. We go out of the FA Cup
early in the third round again, as we seem to
have been doing so in recent years. where's the
game time then? So the only way you guarantee
him to play is if you say, okay, we'll play you
in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup and hope we get
as far as possible, like to the semis and finals.
That's probably 10, 15 games or so. And then
obviously you play some games here and there.
You're coming on as a sub, et cetera, et cetera.
So that's the only way your statement works,
unless you need to define what you mean by a
lot of minutes. That's the question. on a defensive
evolution in his time in charge? Well, yes, because
I think we discussed the other day about the
very close relationship between keeping clean
sheets and not conceding goals and winning major
trophies. And that's the foundation that we are
building over the last three years. And we need
to continue to do that. Tomorrow, again, in competitions
that you are either in or out, you know how crucial
that is. Which is why I said earlier that you
don't want to be making too many changes when
we've built up a head of steam with the team
that has generally played, you know, eight, nine
players that have played pretty much all the
games, started all the games. Yeah, Raya's probably
going to have a breather. Yeah, Norgard's probably
going to come in. Yeah, Mosquera's going to probably
come in. Ethan Waniere, almost certainly. However,
if you fiddle around the team too much... It
only takes a draw and it's a penalty shootout.
And if a penalty shootout, you're out, potentially.
And don't forget, Brighton have knocked us out
in the Carabao Cup, I believe in the 22 -23 season,
when we were having an exceptional start to the
season. So I was there firsthand to see it, that
if you fiddle around with a team against Brighton,
they'll deal with you. Make no mistakes about
that. On the noise made around us, Well, probably
it is true because it is such a big club that
obviously we make a lot of noise, whether it's
good or bad. But that means that people are paying
attention to that. We know our history and that's
very normal. Hopefully we make noise for the
good things. Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of scrutiny
with us, you know, a lot of jealousy, a lot of
rivals that are looking towards us now. Now that
we look like we've got a kind of... We've got
clear daylight between us and our rivals such
as Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea and so on and
so forth. However, we just need to stay focused,
stay humble, don't get complacent, keep doing
the things that we've done to get ourselves in
this position and everything else will take care
of itself. On Piero Hincapia's versatility. He's
a warrior. He's going to bring such intensity,
physicality and emotion to the team as well.
He's quality on the ball. He's a player who is
super keen. He can play inside. He can play in
wide positions. He's done it, as you said, in
different ways. And now we need to get him up
to speed because the moment that physicality
is back and he's at his best, he's going to raise
the level. OK, you're talking. like you're going
to start him. But then that kind of contradicts
the notion that too many changes isn't good.
For me personally, I would have Hincapie on the
bench ready to come on, but I want Myles Lewis
-Skelly starting at left back. So if Hincapie
is to start and Myles is to start, the only other
position he can play really is centre -half.
But we already know Mosquera is going to start
centre -half. And I think we need Gabriel in
the team. So unless you put Mosquera right back,
Nah, it's not going to work because Hinkapie
and Gabriel are both left centre -backs. So in
essence, for me, I think it's going to be Kepa,
either Ben White or Timber, Mosquera, and then
it's either Hinkapie or Gabriel because Lewis
Skelly will start. So it'll be interesting. There's
some big decisions to make. On Ethan Wanyeri's
positional change this season, a bit of everything.
At the end, the context of Bakayo's injuries
and not having a replacement as well opened that
opportunity for him to break in and have a lot
of minutes at his age. And now that he's more
settled, he's more stable, more mature, we see
him playing inside. in both positions that's
where his biggest threat is that's where I think
he's most comfortable as well and he can connect
better with his teammates but it doesn't mean
that he cannot play wide he can do it still but
I think now we need to start developing more
in one position yeah because I think he did start
off well on the wing but in certain games like
against Manchester United where the right back
in Dalot kind of had his number I think if you
have loads of games like that, you start to etch
where his confidence. So really you want him
playing in positions where he feels more comfortable,
at his strongest, more at threat to the opposition.
So yeah, central is probably the one where he
needs to look at playing in. Hopefully he does
get opportunity there tomorrow because he does
need to play. I'll be really gutted if he's not
in that starting line -up tomorrow. And there's
me saying we need to put a serious team out against
Brighton. But I think the other players in and
around him will determine whether the team is
serious or not. Not Ethan Wanieri per se. And
if he sets out who is the first choice goalkeeper,
I never do that. But I don't do that with any
player. I think in the end, they have to earn
it. David Raya has been incredibly good for us
in the last few years and Kepa knew that when
he came in, but he's ready to compete. If I have
to highlight behaviours in that dressing room
and culture, probably I would mention him as
number one. But again, he's come into a different
environment after winning everything in football,
almost. Being in the national team, Chelsea,
Real Madrid, big, big clubs, and he came here
and every single day he's behaving like tomorrow's
training session is the most important one in
his life. his chances to play he's in a really
good place and if he plays tomorrow I'm sure
he will be really really good Kepa will play
tomorrow let's start there but that's another
one where he said he will have his chances to
play so that's similar that ties into the Ben
White kind of situation where it's He's mentioned
that for both of them. So essentially, if they're
going to have their chances to play, and we know
Timber and David Raya will start all the league
games and all the big games, then in essence,
Kepa and Ben White will start all the cup games.
Well, when I say the cup games, I mean FA Cup
and Carabao Cup. So I'm going to go, I'm going
to essentially assume that both of those will
play tomorrow or start tomorrow. Based on Arteta's
wording, On if Kepa's mindset has helped improve
David Raya, that connection, I think, and the
environment that you create between the goalkeepers
and the coaches is unique. They are unique. they
are a lot of times by themselves. They have a
lot to do in individual practices. And I think
Kepa has raised the level. He has created a true
great environment for everybody to shine. And
I think it's down to him. Yeah, I think Kepa's
come in with the knowledge that he's going to
be a second -choice goalkeeper. Last season,
we had Neto in goal. And he essentially knew
that he was never going to play. He did play
the Girona game and he had an aberration in that
game. So this one is a bit different to Ramsdale.
So it's almost like it's in between a Ramsdale
and Neto scenarios where like Ramsdale was kind
of like a number one, not happy to be a number
two when David Raya come in. Whereas Neto was
a number two, happy to be a number two. In this
sense, Kepa is a number one at many other Premier
League clubs, but he knows that he will be a
number two. However, if there is an opportunity
for him to come in, he will take it, and there
will be opportunities for him to play, starting
from tomorrow. On if he would still make a goalkeeper
substitute in a game. Recently, we had quite
a lot of issues, and a lot of the subs had been
because players could not finish games. But I
don't know. Maybe somebody... maybe someday I
will do it. If I feel it, yes. He's never going
to do it. I remember, I think they're alluding
to when Arteta said that a few years ago, but
people say a lot of things in life. Yeah. On
the setback to Ben White after preseason. It
was an injury that kept him out for a few weeks
and we have to manage his load and he didn't
have the rhythm to do that. So the reason why
he's not been playing is to manage that. He's
in a good place now. He's been training more
recently and his feeling has been very good and
he will have minutes to play. Yeah, so once again,
Mikel Arteta reiterates that Ben White... We'll
have minutes to play. So he said that a few times
and I'm going by his wording. So based on that,
I'm going to put my neck out and say that Kepa
and Ben White will start tomorrow. On if he should
have had surgery sooner, I don't know. That's
more for the medical staff. But obviously we
want to protect our players. We're never going
to expose players if we know that they're going
to damage. We're never going to expose players
if we know that we're going to damage them for
the future. Ben, I mean, he will play with anything.
You really have to scratch and ask him, are you
okay? Are you okay? Annie, are you okay? Are
you okay? Ben, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?
Anyway, because if not, he won't tell you because
he wants to play every game, which is great.
But with that injury... It didn't allow him to
have that consistency. And hopefully now he's
going to get that rhythm because the team needs
him. So yeah, a lot of this press conference
interview is alluding to Ben White and kind of
team sheet, Kepa, things like that. So Arteta
has mentioned that he will have minutes to play.
He will have opportunities. What better opportunity
than against his former side, Brighton Hove Albion?
Ben White starts tomorrow and so does Kepa.