Hello and welcome to HYBR1D: Powered by chinkseyMEDIA.
Back again for every word from Mikel Arteta's
post -Everton presser. We sit top of the Premier
League at Christmas following our 1 -0 win at
Everton on Saturday night with Victor Jokeres'
penalty enough for the three points from the
Hill Dickinson Stadium. Mikel Arteta addressed
the media on Merseyside after the final whistle
and discussed the importance of the result, another
goal for our Swedish striker, and we had some
interesting words about his former side, Everton.
On the result, very happy with the result, with
big parts of the performance against a team that's
very difficult to beat, very well organised.
They can really stretch you in the way they play.
The game can become chaotic. We didn't allow
that to happen except for one sequence of two
corners and one throw -in after we kicked the
ball out of play. In the second half, we had
three massive chances to score a second goal
or the third one. We didn't do it. You can suffer
at the end. We didn't because we haven't conceded
anything. But overall, the margins maybe could
have been bigger. Yeah, it's true. I agree with
Mikel. I felt like on the whole, we kind of controlled
the game. We were kind of coasting chaotically,
if that makes sense. So obviously, whilst Everton
didn't really create chances, they made it a
real slog. They made it a real slogfest. Obviously,
a physical battle. They tried to get crosses
into the box. They made it a fight, especially
towards the beginning of the second half. However,
like Mikel said, we had chances to finish the
game. I mean, I still can't believe how Trossard
didn't score. We hit the post twice. Obviously,
Jokeres could have had a penalty before a penalty
was given. So I think on the whole, it was a
hard -fought championship -winning performance.
We didn't necessarily play amazing, but I felt
we played... well enough to win the game to obviously
subdue Everton's qualities. And I think that
we had some good sequences of play where we played
some really good football and we're unfortunate
not to have scored from the chances we created.
On Victor Jocarez's goal, very happy for him.
They took ownership on the pitch between Martin,
Bakayo and him to decide who was the taker. And
they made a great decision because Victor put
the ball in the back of the net. Yeah, definitely.
I think obviously it reminds me of when Kai Havertz
was kind of struggling at the start of his Arsenal
career and he scored that penalty against Brentford.
And he obviously didn't look back after that.
Hopefully, Victor Jocarez scoring an emphatic
penalty could help him now go on a run, go on
a sequence of scoring. especially now he's got
competition for places up front. Another thing,
it'll be interesting to see who starts up front
against Crystal Palace. Personally, I think it's
between Marino and Jesus. It's just a question
of whether Gabriel Jesus is fit enough to start
a football match. On Declan Rice's performance,
unbelievable. His all -round play, his leadership
on the pitch, the amount of balls that he regained
as well that allowed us to run. He has been incredibly
consistent this year. Again, and that's what
a massive player for us he is. Yeah, I mean,
obviously Declan Rice, another exceptional performance.
He was everywhere. You know, he hates losing
the ball. I know every time he loses the ball,
on rare occasions he does lose the ball, he gets
mad at himself and he just chases down the opponent.
And it's almost like the old case of year 11
hunting down year 7. every time, you know, because
he always wins the ball. Very aggressive in the
tackle. But I think the main thing about Rice
is how he's improved in the attacking third since
he's joined Arsenal. He's become an all -round,
well -polished midfielder and is definitely the
best midfielder in the world. And if Arsenal
were lucky not to concede the penalty, I know
they checked it. I haven't seen the image. I
haven't even seen our penalty as well, so I don't
know. They made a decision. We are all involved
in a lot of situations in the box, so I don't
want to really comment too much on that. My theory
on this is I think I've heard a few times people
saying that we haven't played well and we were
lucky. I think if you're going to say we were
lucky, it wouldn't be on how the game panned
out. It would be on the decisions that we got.
So obviously we got a decision for a penalty
and we had a decision. not to give a penalty
against us. So obviously both decisions went
our way. However, on the basis of how the game
went, we definitely were the better team and
definitely deserved the three points. It wasn't
a vintage performance, but it was vintage enough
given the context and the type of opposition
we played against. It was always going to be
a tough game. It was always going to be a gruelling
encounter. But the main thing is we came out
of there. With three points. On Martin Odegaard
giving Jokeres the penalty. And if it shows selflessness.
Great decision. Yes. I agree with that. And as
well the confidence of the player. Because obviously
he practices every day. And he's unbelievable
at it. And he put the ball in the back of the
net. So I love when players take ownership and
decide by themselves what the best decision is.
That's something really positive. Yeah, I mean,
I still believe that Bukayo Saka is the main
penalty taker. Obviously, given the context that
Victor Jokeres was on a goal drought, he needed
that goal. And obviously he was confident enough
to take it because had he missed, it would have
been all. But yeah, he was confident enough to
take it. An emphatic, powerful finish. Hopefully
he can now. go on a little run of scoring goals.
On Odegaard's performance, yes, he was much more
vertical as well. We found some spaces. We found
him to have more vertical attacks as well. The
moment they started to get more aggressive in
their press and in those moments, we should have
decided the game a bit earlier. Yeah, as I said,
obviously, we was the better team today. We had
a good enough performance to win by more goals,
probably two, if I'm being honest. Obviously,
the XG was in our favour, possession, shots,
corners, everything, every metric was in our
favour. But, you know, that could have all went
out the window had we conceded that penalty because
I think had that penalty went in, we would have
struggled to win the game, you know, I'll be
real. But honestly... I think we did enough to
win the game and it was a solid performance.
But we move on to the next one. On being top
of the Premier League at Christmas, what gives
me belief and confidence is the level of performance
and the consistency of that. That's very, very
difficult to do in this league. And that means
that the team is constantly there. Enjoy the
process of winning and you're going to have to
go to difficult places. You're going to have
difficult moments. We have dealt with a lot of
things already and we are there. And what we're
going to do is work for the next game, try to
improve and make sure that everybody is with
the spirit and energy and enjoying that. Well,
I think it's getting to crunch time now. Obviously,
we're now halfway through the season. However,
you can argue that it's in both Arsenal and Man
City's hands because of the... in points between
us. So, for instance, if Manchester City win
every single game they play this season, they'll
win the league. However, we don't need to win
every single game. We can draw with Man City
and win the rest. So, in essence, you can make
cases for both clubs and say who the pressure's
on. But we have to bear in mind that Aston Villa
are on both our coattails. They're only three
points behind us. They've beaten us already.
However, we play them next week, I believe, midweek.
So, They need to win every single game and hope.
In fact, if Aston Villa win every single game,
that won't be enough for them to win the league.
They'll need to win every single game because
goal difference is so heavily favoured in our
side. They will need a huge swing. which is unlikely
because our goal difference is so much better.
What I will say, though, is I don't think we
will have the best goal difference this season.
I think Manchester City are scoring threes and
fours every game. So we have to just concede
that we're not going to have the best goal difference.
So in essence, if we want to win the title, we're
going to just have to stay ahead of Man City,
who look impregnable right now. Although I think
both of us now have tough games coming up. So
we're going to see what both sides are made of.
In fact, I think all three sides have tough games
coming up. So Aston Villa have Chelsea away and
Arsenal away coming up. Arsenal have Brighton
at home and Aston Villa at home. Whereas Manchester
City have Nottingham Forest and Sunderland away.
So it should be interesting because I'm tipping.
I believe City will drop points in one of those
two games, if not both. Probably against Sunderland.
hopeful of that. On recent games being tight,
yes, but okay, we hit the post twice. With players
that are normally in those positions, they're
going to put the ball in the net. But it is where
it is. We have to try. We have to continue. The
more we insist, the more will happen and the
margins will be bigger. And that's what we have
to try to do. I mean, Trossard, I still don't
know how he didn't score. I think, to be honest
with you, I think he hit the ball too well. You
can't hit the ball too well sometimes and it
hits the post. He just needed to curl it slightly,
take some curl off it, and that would have ended
up in the bottom corner. But we won the game,
that's the main thing. And we move on to Crystal
Palace in the Cup. On the tempo of the game,
at the end of the day, you have to dominate the
tempo of the game in order to do that. You have
to understand what the game requires. when you
have to play really fast, when you have to slow
the game down. If you provoke the things that
you want to provoke with the ball, it's right.
But sometimes when you have to be more incisive,
more aggressive, you have to speed up the game.
And today we had moments that we read that really
well and other times that we were a bit hesitant
to make the right decision. And that's something
that we can improve. Yeah, I mean, I think obviously
we slowed the game down towards the end of the
game where we just saw it out, didn't take no
risks. However... The game became chaotic and
hectic, I think, at the start of the second half,
where the game opened up, and that's when we
had chances to kill off the game. We played some
amazing football, actually, towards the middle
of that second half. But obviously, I don't think
Everton necessarily played with a low block,
which enabled Jokeres to get some space and some
joy. He did look better than he has in recent
games, and I think it's just... He played well,
but obviously there's a lot to improve on. And
we're going to see in the next few games whether
he can have a chance to build on his goal. On
the difference in approach from the win over
Wolves. Well, against Wolves, we generated many
more entrances in the box. And when we reviewed
the match, the amount of situations that we had
overloads in the box and the ball didn't arrive
in the right spot, it was unbelievable. And without
really conceding anything until the last cross.
Again, the margin should have been bigger, but
that's what we have to do. Learn while we are
winning. Before I leave, I want to congratulate
everybody at this football club at Everton. Everybody
has contributed to building this amazing stadium
because it was incredible to witness. Not only
the way they've done it, the atmosphere that
they've created. Someone who was an ex -player
and someone who supports this club. Congratulations
to all of them. Yeah, obviously Mikel Arteta
has a lot of history with... Everton having,
you know, played for the side, capped in the
side. And obviously there's a video on the channel
where he's signing autographs for a fan of the
club. It was good to get the win, obviously.
Tough game, but onwards and upwards.