- 4 days ago
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta updates on Saliba's contract renewal and previews Newcastle
26/09/2025
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
26/09/2025
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00We'll kick off with Gareth.
00:02Thanks, Dan.
00:03Sorry, I've got to start on a bit of a sad note.
00:05Yeah.
00:06A young member of the Arsenal family, the Liga,
00:10I know you probably didn't have come across him too much.
00:13It's been a terrible tragedy, he's lost his life.
00:15Just wondering what the thoughts of Arsenal were back there.
00:19Shocking news.
00:21When I got him yesterday, obviously.
00:23So, it's straight away thinking about the family
00:27and how difficult it is to go through something like this
00:32in a very unexpected way as well.
00:34And hopefully they will dig in
00:37and understand what happened, why it happened
00:39and try to avoid, obviously, these kind of things.
00:42But really sad news and our full support with the family
00:45and our thoughts with all the loved ones.
00:48This brings everything into perspective,
00:50but to crack on with other questions,
00:53can you give us any injury update on Martin Odegaard?
00:56Martin will be training with us the next two days,
00:59so hopefully he will be available for the game.
01:01So, racing to be fit?
01:03Yes.
01:04And with Pakaia, he came off in the after an hour,
01:11took a bit of a knock, but it was always a plan,
01:14was it for him to have that many minutes?
01:16Yes.
01:17Yeah, nothing to report there.
01:18I think he played the games that we anticipated.
01:23He did well, he feels good,
01:24and he will be training the next few days.
01:26And available for the selection.
01:27Yes.
01:28And you said there was going to be more
01:30another scout, I think, on Nani.
01:32Has that happened?
01:33Not yet.
01:34Not yet.
01:35Not up there yet.
01:36So, everybody in the world,
01:39everybody in the world, apart from Arsenal,
01:41seems to be saying that William Saliba has agreed a new deal.
01:46I'm assuming that the reason Arsenal haven't announced it
01:48is that it's not quite done yet.
01:52So, hopefully, it will be everybody in the world,
01:55Arsenal included, very soon,
01:57and that's what I'm hoping,
01:59but let's leave the club to announce that when it's all done.
02:02But if it does happen, how important is that?
02:05Because he's a pivotal player for this club.
02:07He certainly is,
02:08and he's been instrumental in everything we've done in the last few years.
02:13It's great to see a lot of players willing and so thriving
02:18to commit to the club.
02:20That means that they are happy, they feel valued,
02:22and they see that this is the best opportunity for them
02:25to continue their careers and fulfil the ambition of the club.
02:29How much pride do you take in the way he plays his form,
02:33how good he is,
02:34and the fact that he's of interest to other big clubs in the world?
02:37Well, very impressive what he's done at his age,
02:39because sometimes we tend to forget.
02:41But his consistency, I think,
02:44the way he's progressed,
02:47the way he's matured as well as a person,
02:50and his role in the team has grown year after year.
02:53I think he's built a partnership with Gabby especially,
02:56but with the back line and the keeper,
02:58that has given the best defensive record in the last three years, I think,
03:02and he's been people for touch with that.
03:05On that, you've conceded, you've played some tough games already this season,
03:09but you've only conceded two goals in seven games.
03:12So, that says how good your defence is.
03:16Have you got the best defence in the Premier League now,
03:19with all the options that you've got in all the positions?
03:21I don't know, we want to have the best team in the Premier League,
03:24and in relation to every phase,
03:26I think the contribution of every player is critical.
03:29We start from our front line,
03:30and the amount of pressure and work that they put into any defensive line,
03:36any goalkeeper is tremendous.
03:38So, it's something collective, it's a team sport,
03:40and in anything that we do, everybody has a pivotal role in that.
03:45But to concede just two in seven, that's impressive?
03:48Yeah, especially one of them was a free kick
03:51that you cannot do much about it,
03:52and one was an action that there are things to improve,
03:56but overall, I think we've been consistent.
03:58It will be key to maintain that level.
04:00Newcastle, last couple of seasons it's proved to be results-wise,
04:03anywhere a difficult place to go.
04:05Yeah.
04:06Do you see them as a different kettle of fish now
04:08that Isak isn't there because he scored the winner against you last season?
04:12No, because I wasn't playing against Barcelona,
04:14and what it could have been in the first 30 or 40 minutes
04:18could be very different to results.
04:20At the end, we know.
04:22I always praise the work that Eddie and the coaching staff had on there,
04:26and the way they have managed to create such an atmosphere,
04:29especially at home as well,
04:31and a very clear identity of playing football,
04:34and they make it really difficult.
04:36We know the test.
04:37We know that we're going to have to be much more efficient
04:39than we've been lately when we played out there to win the game,
04:43and we're going to work on that in the next two days.
04:46I wanted to get a top coach's point of view about kick-offs
04:49and using them as a tactic.
04:51Newcastle have done it quite a lot,
04:54probably kicking the ball straight out as deep in the opposition area.
04:57You did it as well against Liverpool.
04:59What's the thinking behind that?
05:01There are various ways.
05:02I like more the one that you put the ball in the back of the net,
05:06straight away instead of kicking it for a throw-in,
05:09which there are a few patterns and a few ways the team has done it over the past,
05:13but there are some tendencies as well that are in relation to the game
05:17that we expect as well, or you expect,
05:19certain things that you can do to try to avoid set some pressure in the first minutes.
05:22It's all down to preparation, I think.
05:25Is it something kicking the ball straight out that you would only do away?
05:29Do you do that at home as well?
05:31Depends, first half, second half.
05:34If you concede and it's two minutes to go,
05:37depending on the context of the match and the results,
05:40I think makes you decide what's the best thing to do now.
05:44Are there any other little tactics or kick-offs that you're considering
05:47that you might use in the future?
05:49Probably, yeah.
05:51But you're not going to tell me why.
05:54No.
05:55Thank you very much.
05:57Go to Nip from the Premier League.
06:00Hi.
06:01Hello.
06:02Regarding Saliba,
06:03since you gave him his debut in the Premier League in August 2022,
06:06his Arsenal ranking is first in terms of possession won't touches,
06:10successful passes,
06:12second in both areas, clearances, area of duels won and tackles won.
06:17Can you imagine you had certain expectations of him when you gave him his debut?
06:21How much did he exceed those agents?
06:23Yeah, probably all of them, I would say.
06:27Especially the way we started our relationship,
06:30when probably we have different expectations or ideas of how we have to start to create the best pathway for him to fulfill his potential.
06:40But I think at some point we got to the same conclusion, to the same line.
06:45We started to work together and from there, with the help of all the coaches and players,
06:50everything started to flourish because it was clear that the potential was there.
06:54It was about timing and especially, in my opinion, creating the right environment and players for him to deliver what he could do.
07:02So far, 99 goals in moments for Arsenal in Premier League.
07:07How special will it be to reach 100 this weekend?
07:10And how impressive is the ability to show consistency while dealing with injuries?
07:15100, 101 and 102, hopefully on Sunday.
07:19I think that's in less than 200 games as well, which is a really impressive record.
07:25That tells you again.
07:27When we talk about consistency on attacking players, creative players, that's very rare to find.
07:32And at his age, especially more.
07:34But that's the talent that we have.
07:36What's the biggest challenge of facing an AD outside?
07:39And how massive the challenge is this weekend, despite the fact that obviously they're getting used to new reality without Aleksandri Sakon?
07:47Well, it's a lot of games that you have to dominate when you play against them.
07:52And we have to be ready because the context changes so rapidly, so quickly.
07:56It's always a really intense match and I will be prepared for that.
08:01We know that.
08:02But increasing especially our efficiency and two very specific key things,
08:06I think it's what gives you the best chance for you to win the game.
08:10Hi Mikliel.
08:11I've been asking a lot about Saliba already.
08:13It's not just Saliba, of course.
08:15It's Gabriel signed a new deal.
08:17Werner signed a new deal.
08:18Luis Scali signed a new deal.
08:19This collective clearly is showing that they need to win.
08:21It's clearly a show that they believe in the project that they're part of.
08:25How important is that to you to see that commitment?
08:28Well, I'm extremely happy.
08:29And every time I sit with a player and we discuss it with the club what their intentions are,
08:34the first thing is that they want to continue with us.
08:36They want to win with us.
08:37They want to continue to grow as a player in this environment.
08:42And that's a great thing to have because it's not always the case, so we don't take it for granted.
08:47But that means that obviously the club is doing really well as well to make people and staff feel very valuable and happy here.
08:56When you arrived at Arsenal as a player, you arrived after a period when the likes of Sami Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Rob Van Persie decided not to commit important years of their career as the club.
09:06As a manager now, you're seeing obviously players of yours decide to do that.
09:10How do you view how the club has evolved over the last 12 years?
09:15Well, I think the circumstances were different as well because when we moved to the Emirates as well, the club had all their needs.
09:22So it will be, I think, difficult to compare.
09:25What I can say is, again, that I'm extremely happy that players are feeling so committed and so willing to continue with us because we want to do the same.
09:34Continue with them because they've been exceptional for us.
09:37James from CBS.
09:39You seem very excited and rightly so about the imminent news on William.
09:43Are you expecting some news on Bucaio that you might be able to share with us soon?
09:46I would love that.
09:48From everything that I know, again, it's a player that is extremely happy and proud to be and to have the role that he has at the football club.
09:56And things will develop in a natural way like they always do.
10:00And we know and everybody knows how important Bucaio is for us.
10:04So hopefully we can do it.
10:05You said you sort of sat down with William.
10:08And you must be aware of some of the noise that's been coming from the Spanish press.
10:12And, you know, the fact that he's always looked like a player that Real Madrid wanted to sign in these big clubs.
10:18When he says to you that he wants to stay at Arsenal, when he says publicly, how much pride do you take?
10:24Because you know, as you said, it's been an up-and-down sort of relationship.
10:27He must have got something right.
10:29No, I think, well, I was quite all right with him.
10:34Because when you hear that noise and you can understand certain expectations.
10:37At the end players have feelings.
10:39Players have been educated as well in their families.
10:42Maybe dreaming about something one day.
10:45And that's a really natural thing to have.
10:48And when I sit down with William and I ask him the question, he said, no, I want to stay here.
10:53I want to play for you.
10:55And I'm very happy in his own way.
10:57So that's great to hear.
10:59Especially about Real Madrid?
11:01In general, I didn't want to be specific.
11:03But it was obvious the amount of noise that it was around certain clubs.
11:08We don't have to name many teams.
11:10But there are not as well that many that can come and get Willy out from Arsenal.
11:15And probably him being happy to discuss it.
11:18So it was clear.
11:20And again, he was so transparent and honest from the beginning.
11:24Simon Standard?
11:25How would you describe the atmosphere at St James' Park?
11:29Incredibly beautiful.
11:31I think it's one of the best football atmospheres in this country.
11:34I think when you, as a player, as a fan, as a coach,
11:38you want to live in this atmosphere.
11:40They play every single ball with you.
11:42It's electric, there's so much support out there.
11:44And, yeah, it's one team, one city.
11:48I think that makes it a difference as well.
11:50And to play as an opposition as well,
11:52it's such a challenge and opportunity at the same time.
11:55So, great atmosphere to play.
11:57And just on that Barca game, did you watch that?
11:59Yeah.
12:00Was there something you learned from it in the sense that,
12:02I think Barca had that sort of 20 minutes where they kind of weathered the storm
12:05and then they were able to play the football that they wanted to do.
12:08The things that you've taken from that going into Sunday that you think your team can learn?
12:12Yeah, I think there are two ways to look at that game with a tactical view.
12:17It's on mute or pure on the volume up.
12:20And I decided to put the volume up just to understand.
12:23Because in every decision-making there is an emotional contribution there.
12:28And certainly when you have to play your game and the way you want to play there,
12:32you have to be able to do it in that atmosphere.
12:34And I think that's beautiful.
12:36Okay.
12:37Halt from the Pacific.
12:38Just on Saliba again, sorry.
12:40But when you mentioned there was a moment where I guess yours and his relationship,
12:45you found the same kind of conclusion.
12:48Can you remember the conversation around that time and what actually helped you get on the same page?
12:54Yeah, there were a few.
12:56The last one it was unfortunately over the phone because we have to make the call.
13:01And it was during Covid as well.
13:03And it wasn't easy.
13:05But I said, listen, I have to be very honest with you.
13:08The last thing that I want is you being here and not playing the football that,
13:12in my opinion, you have to play to continue to develop.
13:15And the club was on board with that.
13:17And after that, when I saw him and I looked in the eyes to him, I said,
13:21in my opinion, are you ready?
13:22What do you think?
13:23Yeah, I'm ready.
13:24So then we started and everything started to flourish.
13:28What about, I guess, that year made you feel he was ready?
13:33Well, when I started in training to see the things that, in my opinion,
13:37are basics that you need to absolutely dominate to play as a center back in this league.
13:43And just on Simon's point on St James' Park, I remember when you went there a few seasons ago,
13:50when, I think, Arsenal played in yellow and you missed out on the Champions League.
13:54The first five minutes seemed really important in that game.
13:57But what the atmosphere kind of brought to it and the emotion.
14:01And you spoke about trying to take the game into a different mood.
14:04And I was just wondering how important you feel the first five minutes of games
14:08in really tough atmospheres like that are.
14:11And can they help?
14:13Yeah, the first five minutes are the most important minutes for the first five minutes.
14:17And then the next five are the most important ones.
14:21And like this, the referee blows the whistle.
14:24It is.
14:25Everything generates momentum, tendencies, and feelings in relation to how the team is feeling
14:31at that moment on the pitch.
14:32But at the end, you need to be dominant for long periods of time you want to win there.
14:37And that's what we're going to try to do on Sunday.
14:39OK, then Joey.
14:40Hi.
14:41Hi.
14:42How is your tip to St. James' Park?
14:45Obviously, in a corresponding pitch to the Emirates last season,
14:49you beat them 1-0.
14:50Are you going to keep the same philosophy that you used for that game to beat them,
14:53obviously in regards to going away from home,
14:55or are you going to keep it the same?
14:58Well, every game will be different.
15:01I didn't like the first minutes that we played at the Emirates against them.
15:05I like other parts of it.
15:06There are a lot of parts that I like the game we played at St. James' Park,
15:10but not especially what we consider the goals.
15:13But we'll have to be better.
15:15I think the level is racing.
15:17Their level will race.
15:18Our level will race.
15:19And we're going to have to be at our best.
15:21And if we do that, we're going to have a big chance to win the game.
15:23Sorry, I told you.
15:24In regards to Beria Eze as well,
15:28against City, you dropped him into the field
15:30and played the matches past and might not need to score.
15:33Is that something you're going to ask him to do more often?
15:35Or is that just a sparing moment kind of thing?
15:38Yeah.
15:39And especially if he drops and puts the ball through,
15:41I'm going to tell him to do it very, very often.
15:43Yeah.
15:44Okay, guys, that finishes the as well.
15:46Okay, guys, that finishes the as well.
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