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Every word from Mikel Arteta's pre -Aston Villa presser.
Days after beating Brentford,
Mikel Arteta was back facing the press ahead
of our trip to Aston Villa on Saturday, December
the 6th. Bear in mind I'm filming this straight
after the Aston Villa game. Mikel provided an
injury update and assessed our opponents who
we face today. at Villa Park at 12 .30. Here's
everything the boss had to say at the Sobel Royalty
Training Centre. On Declan Rice's availability,
let's see, I think with all the questions I'm
going to get, the answer, unfortunately, is going
to be the same. We have another training session
in the afternoon. Every hour is going to be very
important to see the availability of the players.
After that, we'll decide which ones are available.
Well, I always maintained, and I did already
say after the Brentford post -match presser that
Declan Rice will play, and he did. On Mosquera's
fitness, that's the one that is more complicated.
But again, we have another test today to see
where we are with them. Well, it was made clear
that Mosquera was out for the remainder of the
calendar year, so we won't see him until January
at the earliest anyway. On William Saliba and
Leandro Trossard being close. It's a matter of
days with those two for sure. Well, Saliba wasn't
in the squad today. Trossard played and scored
and came off again. So if it's a matter of days,
you would think that Saliba is in contention
for Ruga on Wednesday, whereas Trossard may have
aggravated his injury today. On if the quality
of football suffers in a schedule, the only thing
I can say... is that whenever it's possible to
help and give the players an extra day or hour
to fulfil their maximum potential, let's do it.
That's it. We are ready for tomorrow's game,
that's for sure. I'm facing Aston Villa. For
what they've been doing, the way they've been
playing and winning matches, certainly it's a
team that is in great form and we know that.
We know obviously the manager and the incredible
job he's done there as well. So we know the task
tomorrow, but we always take it as an opportunity.
Well, I mean, everything encompassing Aston Villa's
form, the fact that the fans gave them the extra
impetus, Unai Emery factor, Oli Watkins being
an Arsenal fan, Emiliano Martinez being an ex
-Arsenal player, Daniel Marlin being an ex -Arsenal
player, and so on and so forth. We didn't play
well. We've had a lot of injuries, especially
in the back line. And Aston Villa deserved the
win. So, tough game, but we have to dust ourselves
down and win the next game. And if Unai Emery
has any extra motivation facing Arsenal? I don't
know. I think when you look at Unai Emery, his
career, his motivation level, everywhere he's
had an impact. It's all been remarkable, so I
don't know. That's a question for him. But in
my opinion, he never needs anything extra. I
think he's good enough in himself. I think Arteta
knows that he's extra motivated. Him saying that
he will be doesn't have any benefit to us. So
he's just answered it. Like a politician really.
And I don't blame him. On if this is another
statement match. Consistency again to perform
at the highest level and win another game. And
then we'll go back to the same question to the
Champions League. And then next weekend. Because
that's the nature of the game. And that's exactly
how we have to take it every game. Today we lost
only the second. game we have this season and
I don't think there's a team across Europe who
have lost less than twice but then again as I
said that I just realized Bayern Munich was that
team but we beat Bayern Munich but with the exception
of us and Bayern Munich I don't think there's
a team that I've lost less than three times this
season a top team anyway I stand to be corrected
on that though on what Winning our match does
to the other title rivals. Every time you win
a game, obviously, you are a little bit closer
to your objective. And that's the only thing
that we can do. We have to focus on performing,
preparing really well for tomorrow. We know the
kind of game that we're going to play and be
ready for it to fulfil our potential. Villa played
really well, especially first half. I felt in
the second half, especially at the beginning
of the second half, we came into it and... looked
really good and looked, you know, in a position
to take the three points. However, Villa wrestled
the game back into their favour and they ended
it really strongly. We was kind of hanging on
in there, really. And they nicked it. They pinched
it right at the death, which is a kick in the
nuts. But you've got to dust yourself down and
keep going. It's going to be a marathon. It's
not going to be easy at all. On what must scare
us, injury is an ankle injury. Wow. Very blunt,
very vague. Doesn't seem happy about that question.
On Calafiori being on four yellows this season
and if it impacts his line -up or if it's an
in -game dilemma. Both. Especially against Brentford
and especially with the situation that we had
in the end of the game. At the end of the game
with the backline and the numbers that we have
there. But it... Didn't happen, so it's good
news. Well, it did happen today, and Calafuri
is going to miss the Wolverhampton Wanderers
game, which begs the question, does Calafuri
now start the game against Club Brugge, or does
Myles Lewis Skelly start the next three games,
which is the Club Brugge game, Wolverhampton
Wanderers game? So that should be interesting,
given the fact that... Califuri had a poor game
today. It's a chance for Myles Lewis -Skelly
to stake his claim now at left -back. On Ollie
Watkins and his threat, I think the collective
threat that they have in terms of how they generate
chances and what they do so well, then obviously
the quality that they have up front from different
players. Well, I mean, Aston Villa didn't really
play with width. What they did was play with
a lot of central players, people like Morgan
Rodgers, John McGinn. And Onana, Tielemans, people
like that, they kind of block off the centre
of the pitch. They get their whip from people
like Ian Mattson and Matty Cash, who played well
today. So, yeah, they gave us a real tough game.
I felt like once we kind of subdued them, I thought
we were going to go on to win the game. But then
they got their second wind. And obviously the
fans kind of generated that energy and the players
transmitted it. into getting a late winner, which
was hard to take. On if Aston Villa are title
challengers, if they continue where they are
already, so if they continue what they've been
doing, I think any club, any team in that position
has chances for sure. Well, Aston Villa are three
points behind us after beating us, so they're
going to have to be. On if his squad is in the
best place it's been under him, we've built a
squad that I believe was the best one to give
us the opportunity to do it. Is it what I want
to be? No, because of the injuries that we have.
To have a squad means that the players have to
be fit and available because it has a lot of
consequences, not only during matches, but also
in the way that we prepare for the week and the
options that we have to change and keep the presence
in the team. But certainly very happy with how
we deal with certain situations. Well, I mean,
we've been told that we have great strength in
depth and had a great squad and spent a lot of
money. But as per we're getting decimated with
injuries and it's definitely taking its toll.
Yes, the quality is out there, but I mean, it's
the kind of cohesion, the lack of cohesion isn't
there because the players that are playing in
defence aren't used to playing with each other.
So the kind of defensive shape, the rigid, regimented
shape that we've had across the season, making
us hard to beat, hard to score against, it's
been really put to the test and we kind of got
punished for it today. Especially when you couple
all those factors and you're playing against
the most informed side. In the league. On if
teams will drop out of competitions because of
the fixture schedule. Hopefully we don't get
to that point and everything is manageable. We
all learn from it and we carry on in what we
do. Yeah, I don't think Arteta is happy with
the scheduling and the injury situation. You
can tell by the way he's answering the questions.
On if Saliba and Trossard will be fit. As I said
before, after the training session, we'll know
more. So yeah, the typical after the training
session answer. But in fairness, he was already
asked this question. On if Mikel Moreno will
be considered as a striker when all strikers
are fit. I think he has earned at least the thinking
behind it with the way he's performing and the
impact that he's bringing to the team. So that's
a yes. Well, he didn't have a good game today.
He got out -muscled a lot. So as I predicted,
Jimenez. to be substituted at half -time for
the following players, Leandro Trossard and Victor
Jocarez, and both came on at half -time. On if
he's grown into the position, yeah, and they
are playing together, even with Victor. It can
be with Gabi Jesus, and there are things that
we have prepared during the summer because of
the squad that we have, and so far we haven't
been able to do. What can I say? He's played
well up until today. But for me now, Jokeres
has to come back into the side on Wednesday.
On managing his players when rotating, we haven't
had this situation too many times. I think the
problem would be the other one, that you bring
somebody in and he doesn't perform, and then
the decision is so easy not to play him again.
We are not in that position, which is the position
that we want to be in. which is exactly that.
We have people in contention, whether it's to
start the game or to finish the game, or to play
whenever the team needs his qualities. That's
what we have at the moment with every player.
Well, every player, but barring Ethan Wanieri,
that is. Ethan Wanieri's got to play on Wednesday,
he's got to play the whole game, and he's got
to play the whole game against Crystal Palace.
I mean, I'm starting to feel sorry for him now
that he's not getting any time on the pitch.
If you're not going to play the kid, then loan
him out in January. On the challenges of having
everyone fit, I hope that we are in that position.
And then again, we can maintain and decide for
the freshness of the team and what is required
on that day. What is the best squad to take?
A problem that obviously a lot of clubs in this
country are very familiar with. I mean, today,
the fact that Drury and Timber had to move inside
at centre -half affected his game. A good -ish
game, however, when he's at right -back, he's
always excellent, so that's already affected
him. With Hinkapie, he's playing with a player
who he hasn't played alongside. In Timba, they
both played in the same team, but not next to
each other. In terms of Calafiori, he had his
worst game of the season, for sure. For me, I
feel he was at fault for the first goal because
he was too far inside, meaning that Ebreche Eze
was at left full -back. And obviously he was
all at sea for the goal that Matty Cash scored.
So it's to do with the positioning and just the
unfamiliarity of the players that were playing
together in that back line with Ben White coming
in for a second game. in Cusco session after
a fantastic performance against Brentford in
midweek. So all of that reshuffling, too many
changes and we got punished for it. And if he's
worried about Mosquera's fitness, no, we need
to know because the feeling that we had after
the game and yesterday, we need to corroborate
with other testing that we do today. Like I said
already, he was out for the remainder of the
year. We will not see him until January. On if
the injuries impact any January transfer dealings,
we always have to be prepared. I mean, the moment
that we have an option to touch the squad, to
bring to the squad or to protect the squad, depending
on what happens, I think we need to be open.
For example, one, what's going to happen from
here till the window is closed as well, it's
football. So we don't know, but we're certainly
going to be alert and we know where the risk
can come in terms of the squad. and be ready
just in case we have to do something. Okay, that
was slightly a waffling paragraph, but essentially
he's saying we can sign, we can be in the market
for players in January because of the injury
crisis that we have. And if anyone could leave
in January, at the moment, obviously, we haven't
had a situation, as we mentioned before, where
players are out of the squad for three or four
weeks in a row. At the moment, we know that the
squad we have, we are full framing of the players
that are fit. So at the moment, it's very clear
that there's no option to do that. OK, so Ethan
Wanieri will remain on the bench for probably
the rest of the season. Free Ethan on what he
learned from last season's injuries. You certainly
learn from those situations, I think. Looking
for solutions and being positive and transmitting
that positivity and belief to the team is the
main thing because you cannot do anything about
it. We have injuries that are totally uncontrollable,
especially the ones that were long -term last
season. This season, a lot of other things happened
as well. Learn from the things that we can control
as well and the areas that we can improve. First
of all, myself, and take it as it comes and enjoy
the ride. Martin Odegaard came back from injury
in recent weeks. He's come off the bench in a
few games and started a few games. But today
he was outstanding, actually. He seemed like
he was back to his best. The way he was linking
up with Saka, the way he was gliding across the
pitch, slaloming through players, getting shots
off. That's the Martin Odegaard that we know
is a world -class player. We need to see end
product. We need to see goals and assists. I
think also him in the team affected Eze. I think
Eze had a poor performance and it was because
he was shifted onto the left to accommodate Oldegard.
So it's almost like it's one or the other because
I don't think Eze off the left really works.
So you've got to be bold now and say, right,
captain on the bench or Eze, inform Eze, hat
-trick hero Eze and North London derby. on the
bench. So this is a problem that we're going
to have for the rest of the season because I
think now we have to understand that on the left
wing it's got to be one from three. Trossard,
Martinelli or Madueke and either you play Eze
and Odegaard or one or the other. I don't think
Eze off the left, especially against Aston Villa,
is the way forward. And if Martin Odegaard can
play every three days, I think he's certainly
capable of doing that once the injury is resolved.
You see the stats, what he did in midweek after
six or seven weeks out. It's incredible. We just
have another player, another top player that
gives us a lot, gives us something different
to what we have in those positions. So I'm very
happy to have him. Yeah, I mean, I was actually...
I wasn't surprised that Odegaard started, but
I was surprised that Odegaard and Eze started.
So in essence, I was surprised that Eze was off
the left. But a few of the boys during the meet
did say they thought Odegaard would start, and
I didn't disagree with them. I just thought Eze
would start. So it would either be both of them
start, which did happen, but I didn't think...
Eze would be off the left. So in essence, if
both started, then I would have thought they
would both be central. Or Odegaard would be on
the bench. Well, I think we learned today that,
especially in a game against a top side, it's
got to be one or the other with a more traditional
winger on the left. On having more options as
a manager. Great. I think it's something that
I haven't experienced much, especially through
long periods of time since I've been here. And
it's great. Before the game, it's great because
you can think about different ways, different
relationships. You can accommodate players for
the game that you expect to play. And what is
great is that when you look at the bench and
you can say, now we can change the game. Or last
year when we were in February to May, look there,
we had two players. Really. So that's a huge
difference. Well, yeah, there's strength and
depth. But as I said already at the beginning
of the podcast, if there's strength and depth,
it means you have quality when you have injuries.
But when you do have injuries, you're now playing
mix and match players who aren't used to playing
with each other. And that could be the difference
in terms of fine lines, fine margins, especially
when you're playing an informed side. Aston Villa.
I'll put it this way, just to summarise things.
If you're going to have an injury crisis, the
last team you'd want to have won against is the
most informed side in the league in Aston Villa.
But once again, I reiterate, Aston Villa were
the better team today. They deserved the win,
albeit in dramatic circumstances with virtually
the last kick of the game. But we're going to
dust ourselves down. And hopefully we get two
wins next week against Club Brugger and Wolverhampton
Wanderers. And we'll get back on track in our
pursuit of this title, which I still think we're
going to win.