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Back again for every word from Mikel Arteta's post,
Brentford Presser. Mikel Arteta spoke to
the press following our 2 -0 victory over Brentford
at the Emirates Stadium. Goals from Mikel Moreno
and Bukayo Saka did the damage in the latest
London derby and following the win in M5 or M7,
Mikel assessed the result and gave an update
on a host of players. That was a little bit late,
wasn't it? I was supposed to do it after the
intro. All right. Here's everything he said.
On rotating the starting X1, rest. That's quite
a positive word to use. We had to make some changes.
We had a very demanding week at every level,
emotionally, physically, and what the game demanded.
the tactical and technical aspect of it. We were
asked to play three days later, one less recovery
than Brentford, and still performing the way
that we've done against a team that is super
well coached, very well organised. They are very
clear about how they want to generate big chances,
and they are very good at doing that. So at 1
-0, we knew it wasn't enough. I don't think we
conceded anything apart from the save that we
had to make from the corner. But the game was
always open and we needed that extra energy to
close it. And maybe when we didn't have it, we
had the courage. All right, let me do it properly.
People probably locked off by now. We had the
courage to take the ball under control, under
pressure, and to start to break their press through
very good movement and purpose with the ball
to go and score the second goal and win the game.
Yeah, I mean, it was a kind of run of the mill.
Win. Routine victory, really. A game that you'd
really expect us to win. Wasn't the greatest
game, but obviously in the midst of a fixture
congestion, it's good to just tick another win.
And move on to the next one, which is a big one
against Aston Villa and Unai Emery. But I'm sure
we'll get on to that a little bit later on. On
injuries during the game, yes, obviously it's
never good news. Declan Rice had to come off.
We don't know. We'll have to see tomorrow what
he's got. Oh, Teddy, why are you sneezing? Oh,
say something. Oh, he's licking the mic. Anyway,
Christian Mosquera is the other one that is out.
Obviously... Can you stop sneezing, Teddy? Thank
you. We have to adapt. It's been a theme this
season. But when I look at the players that haven't
been playing much, for example, Ben White, the
performance that he had, Martin Odegaard has
been out and he puts 96 minutes under his belt
straight away. Noni, the same. Victor Jokeres
is coming and now he's getting some minutes as
well. So I'm pleased to see that. You know, I'm
a bit disappointed that Gabriel Jesus didn't
get a little run out. I don't think he'll get
a run out on Saturday. I feel if he was going
to get some game time, it was going to be yesterday.
But sadly, he didn't get on the pitch, but he's
been on the bench for the past two games. It'll
be interesting to see if he's on the bench for
Saturday and also if he gets on the pitch because
that is a real tough game. But in saying that,
Club Brugge, I definitely think he will play.
It'll be interesting to see if he starts that
one though. Probably not. On Mikel Moreno's performance,
he was immense again. The way he scored, super
smart. His timing, the way he wins the position
and execution. But his overall performance with
the ball, without the ball. I remember an action
that he passed the ball to Martin. Martin doesn't
chase it. He makes 40 metres to chase it to the
corner flag and goes back. Wins the ball back.
He is everywhere and his goal, with that really
good momentum at the moment, he makes the team
much better. Okay, interesting. If he makes the
team much better, you would assume he would want
the team to be better on Saturday. Once again,
another tough game against Aston Villa who are
in supreme form. Currently in third position.
So if Aston Villa were to win, it'll be interesting
to see if people will count them in the title
race. Because they're currently only six points
behind us. Which is interesting. On Declan Rice's
fitness... Talking about fans and support, I
asked them to be here at 7 .30. I think they
were here earlier. So thank you so much to all
of them for being with us because we needed that
energy today. He could not carry on playing,
so we have to wait and see tomorrow, as in today,
what happens. Yeah, obviously, it's a tricky
situation regarding it's a midweek game in early
December. It's going to be cold, chilly. It's
not exactly a game against so -called big side.
So, you know, it wouldn't be ideal for certain
fans, but obviously they did turn up in their
droves as per. And with regards to Declan Rice,
I think he'll be fine for Saturday. So, yeah,
shouldn't worry too much about that. Probably
just a little precaution on picking up another
clean sheet. We talked about that. I think it
was four games that we didn't manage to do that
for different reasons. We conceded from a set
-piece against Chelsea and against Sunderland
as well. The other ones are a little bit different.
Today, we probably should have conceded a goal
if it wasn't for David Raya as well and the save
that he's made. But I think apart from that,
we didn't really concede that much. Well, yeah,
it's good to get back to clear sheet ways. Hopefully,
if we can get another one against Aston Villa,
that means another win because we're invariably
scoring in every game we're playing. with the
exception of Liverpool, that is. So I think,
yeah, David Raya is an exceptional goalkeeper
and making top -class saves, which he shouldn't
really be making, is almost his forte. On Christian
Mosquera's injury, we have to wait and see. It's
probably the knee or ankle, we don't know. He
could not really tell us exactly how it was,
but he wasn't able to continue. Yeah, but even
if he's out, I think it's... I'm almost certain
that William Saliba will come in based on what
Mikel Arteta has said in previous press conferences.
So it would almost certainly be Saliba and Piero
Hincapia at the back. On Mourinho's role in the
team, I said it earlier in a press conference.
He did indeed and so did I. It's curiosity and
his will to learn and his will to help the team.
He knew that we had a major problem from the
beginning of the season. We lost Victor. Kai
was out and Gabriel Jesus was out. So we needed
a solution. He did it last year really, really
well. I think this season he's probably taken
it to another step because he's able to do even
more things. So I think the team is really grateful
and he's enjoying it. Well, he's going to enjoy
it even more on Saturday because he's going to
start that game against Aston Villa. On Ben White's
performance, personally, I'm very, very happy
for him as a human being. I think the rest of
the team is the same because he's a player who
has always played for us. And sadly, because
of the right reasons, he wasn't playing that
much because Julian Timber was and is excellent.
And he was out for a while and then he needed
to earn. his place. But his attitude has been
so positive, so good, that when you are ready
and you're given the opportunity, you take it
like he did today. So I'm very happy that we
have him back in his best version of himself
as well. And we're going to need him because
he is a tremendous player. Well, I've been, I
don't want to say critical of Ben White, but
I've been... I've been real with Ben White. So
in the sense that Julian Timber is such an excellent
player and the fact that Ben White's had injury
and fitness issues over the course of probably
12 to 18 months, I was fearing for Ben White's
place in the Arsenal squad or even at the club
because... he's just probably getting left behind.
But it's essential that he keeps performing whenever
he gets an opportunity to play, like yesterday
in which he got man of the match. So I'm happy
for him. So the next game that he gets an opportunity
will almost certainly be against Club Brugge
next week, Wednesday. So hopefully he can build
on that performance and really challenge Timber.
Well, not challenge him, but... Give Timber an
opportunity to rest and recruit because we know
Timber is the best right back in the world, let
alone at the club. On the 19 minutes as a whole,
I think we had three big chances to score the
second goal. We didn't do it. And then when we
were going for the second one, the game became
a little bit open. We started to be a little
bit late in certain moments in the high press.
They break it and the pitch is stretched. then
we needed to be a bit more compact. But I think
we went through that period really well when
we started to take the ball and do what we had
to do with the ball to bring the momentum down,
bring the composure and the ball to the areas
that we wanted to attract them and to use the
open spaces that they left and score a second
goal. Well, I mean, fortunately, the second goal
did come, but it came in second half at a time.
So the main thing is we kept a clear sheet, got
the three points. We also gained a goal on Man
City with regards to goal difference. And we
also have the opportunity to stretch our lead
to eight points over them, given we played before
them at 12 .30 on Saturday. And if Benoit is
back to his best, the first thing as a defender
is he defends. And defends with that purpose
and with that determination and efficiency. He's
done that today. Then if he can add the value
that he can add with the ball through his passing,
through his movement and through the deliveries
that he can put in with the quality that he has,
so be it. And today I think he's done both very
well. Yeah, that's good news. Obviously, Ben
White and Nani Madaweke were on the right flank.
Two players that are not used to playing with
each other, but two players that are ample and
adept replacements. for Julian Timber and Bukayo
Saka, respectively. So it's good to know that
we can make those type of changes and still come
up trumps. On David Raya's save, I thought it
was in because they are so good at that as well.
It's a big moment in the game. Well, David Raya,
like I said in the podcast earlier, is making
the impossible nothing. Hanta Adidas, you can
sponsor this if you want. But no, especially
against Aston Villa last season, he just made
some surreal saves that he should have no right
in making. I remember when Aaron Ramsdale used
to make great saves, and you're like, wow, but
then he'll make an error. But David Raya generally
doesn't really make errors, and I've said it
many times, I think he's firmly amongst the five
best goalkeepers in the world, especially on
current form. and it's a shame that he doesn't
start for Spain. On Mourinho's versatility, yes,
I think that's a lesson. I took that lesson because
the whole summer I was thinking, if we bring
in a nine, what was going to happen with Gabi
Jesus and Kai Havertz? I have a lot of nines.
I like them so much as well. What are we going
to do? How are we going to handle it? So far,
we haven't had a problem because they've been
injured. So live the present, live the moment,
and deal with the situation when it comes. Well,
the situation is coming. It's in the offing.
Because Kai Havertz is going to be back real
soon. Probably in time for the Carabao Cup quarterfinal.
As is Jay Zeus, who is essentially back. Just
a question of him getting game time and match
sharpness. Mikel Moreno is currently, you know,
holding the position. And I think, like I said
already, he's going to start on Saturday. With
regards to Victor Jokeres, that's an interesting
one now. How is he going to get in the team?
So we've essentially got four centre -forwards
fighting for one spot. On the fixture schedule,
it's probably not one thing, but we can help
the players and everybody in the league and everybody
to do what we have to do. give it another day,
especially the teams that are playing so much
in Europe. So everybody in general, I think we
can do that because we're going to benefit from
that. We've never had such a schedule on every
level, not only in the Premier League, but every
competition internationally as well. So we need
to try to do that. Please, I think it's common
sense. I think at some point this becomes too
much, you know, and the players are not machines,
but we have to try to do that when we can. Yeah,
I mean, I don't think it's a case of complaining.
You know, we've got a fame, we're famed for having
a big squad, a squad full of depth, a squad full
of quality. So make use of it, make the changes.
Yes, we're playing every three days. Yes, it's
games galore, but... I think we've got the players
to be able to cope with it. So no excuses. Let's
win against Aston Villa. It's coming Saturday
afternoon.