- 3 months ago
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Big Gabby's injury and How to Stop Mateta
24/10/25
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
24/10/25
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon everyone, hope everyone is well.
00:13We'll kick off with the usual as live section then we'll go to a 10.30 tonight.
00:18If we're already in the back, we'll kick off with Dharmesh from Sky.
00:22Good afternoon.
00:23Can we start off with any team news after the L30 go again?
00:27Yeah, not much. Obviously, Big Gabby had to leave the pitch with an issue
00:32and he hasn't been able to train yet so let's see how it evolves in the next 24 hours
00:36whether it's available or not for the weekend.
00:38Any news on the longer term injuries in the way K.O., the guard, habits, jaysers?
00:45They are all progressing really well. They have started to do certain activities.
00:50They are all super willing to be available as quick as possible
00:55but at the moment none of them are yet in contention in the next week or so.
01:00Incredible stat, three goals in the first world then, at least in the history of the club.
01:08Is there a motivation to create more history, maybe even break Chelsea's record from back in the day?
01:16Yeah, we want that this kind of record that we are getting a lot at the end brings the silverware
01:23and the trophies that we want.
01:25But obviously the more we can produce, I think the closer we're going to be to achieve what we want to do.
01:30And that defensive record is very good but we need to be consistent.
01:34Consistent is only just the start of the season and the aim is to continue improving things,
01:39which we can do still, out of them to be even better.
01:42Crystal Palace next, I guess a big game for Eze in particular, his first game against his former club.
01:49What are his emotions like? What have you noticed?
01:52It's a big game for us because last season here we dropped some points
01:55and it's the fourth game in a row that we're going to play against opponents
01:58that we dropped points and this season we've been able to beat them.
02:02So it focuses on that.
02:03We know that for Eze is going to be a very special match with the history
02:09and what he did for Palace.
02:11But the focus is on the team.
02:13Just on those four games, because you preempted my next question,
02:16but does that form part of your messaging to the team?
02:19Look, you didn't win against these four teams last season,
02:22you've done it with the previous three,
02:24now the chance to do it for the fourth.
02:26Well, if we want a very different outcome,
02:28we better do very different things than we did last year,
02:31especially against these pictures.
02:33So we know what Palace are doing,
02:36what Oliver has done for the football club
02:38and the way they are getting results.
02:40So it's going to be a really tough match,
02:42but we're going to play again in front of our crowd
02:46and we are confident if we hit our level,
02:48we have a big chance to win it.
02:49Final one for me, Michalic.
02:51A lot of people are talking about the strength of your squad.
02:53Just from the manager's perspective,
02:56does that bring with it its own challenges?
02:58Because I'm guessing it can't be easy for you to leave out players
03:02who maybe deserve to be in the team.
03:05And how accepting on the flip side do the players have to be
03:09to know, look, you're not going to play as much as maybe you deserve
03:12what you want to?
03:13Well, there are two sides to it.
03:15One, the emotional part and my attachment with the individual,
03:18with the person.
03:19And I would love to play all of them.
03:21But the second one, obviously, without a question of a doubt,
03:24I'd rather have this situation,
03:26the situation we had in the last few years
03:28when at some point we were very short in numbers.
03:31So we have created a very strong environment,
03:33a really competitive and supportive environment
03:36that hopefully can challenge to be very competitive every game.
03:39That's the aim and that we want to achieve.
03:42And we just all go towards that direction.
03:47We'll go to Anita from the Premier League.
03:49Hi.
03:50You've obviously got some players who are in great form,
03:52but looking at Crystal Palace,
03:53Jean-Philippe looks like a completely new player,
03:56five goals so far in the opening,
03:58or eight Premier League games.
04:00How do you stop it?
04:02Well, first of all, it's obviously what they do as a team,
04:07their level of organisation.
04:09They have very clear intentions of how they want to attack
04:12and which moment they use to attack and to hurt opponents.
04:15So stopping the source is probably the best way.
04:18When you get into certain situations within 1v1,
04:21you know that that is very prolific
04:24and it's been very, very successful,
04:26especially recently.
04:27So trying to avoid that.
04:29From their attacker to one of your attackers, Victor,
04:32of course getting away to some of these events.
04:34Yeah.
04:35What was your conversation with him like after that?
04:38What was a lot of rumblings around?
04:40It didn't need a conversation.
04:41It just needed a hug.
04:43And just look at him and enjoy how happy he was after the game.
04:48And I think we were all very happy because he fully deserves that.
04:52My final one.
04:53Fifteen goals so far from the opening game.
04:56I know you're used to many questions being asked about the manner in which the goals are being scored.
05:02Two thirds of the coming from set pieces.
05:05Are you at all concerned that it's only five from open games?
05:09No.
05:10No.
05:11Not at all.
05:12Because I don't see football like open play and set pieces.
05:14I see the game in a different way.
05:18Hi, Vickal.
05:19How are you?
05:20Very good.
05:22Going on from that then, the set pieces.
05:24A lot of people say that after the score most of their goals are set pieces.
05:28They still can't stop you.
05:29And yet football teams are going more to teams than want to be like you scoring from set pieces.
05:34How have you done and perfected this?
05:36With work.
05:38First of all, creating the culture.
05:41Giving to that part of the game the importance that it has.
05:46Understanding that again football is evolving and the opponents are behaving against us.
05:51That we have to maximise certain things that happen very frequently.
05:55So something that happens very frequently better has a lot of value to us.
05:59So trying to maximise that and be effective.
06:02At what point did you say though, or did you hone in on the fact that this would have been such a rich source of goals and so good for your team?
06:11Ten years ago.
06:14Explain.
06:16Ten years ago, I said, I think it has to be I wasn't here.
06:19But ten years ago, I said, it's a massive thing to do that.
06:23And I started to have a vision and try to implement a method and try to be surrounded by the best people to deliver that.
06:30I just go back to the history of football in general and the teams that have the best defensive record most of the times.
06:39Except for the last three seasons in the Premier League, which we've been, normally you win the league.
06:44So just go against those stats, but the stronger we are in that foundation, the bigger the probability to win games are.
06:54Last one. It's easy when you're a manager of things going wrong. I know what I need to put right. How easy is it to manage when things are going perfectly as they are now?
07:04And there's a temptation not to touch anything? Or is there a temptation still to touch?
07:18No, but they are far from perfect. And there are a lot of things that we must do better.
07:23Obviously, there are a lot of things that we're doing very, very well, and we need to maintain that.
07:27So it's just about understanding that the margins to win football games at this level are very small.
07:35In certain moments, we have sets unlocked. In certain moments, we have fully the sets to win them.
07:41But that's not going to be the same trajectory all the way in the season, and we need to be prepared for that.
07:46So the more alert we are, the more urgency we have, the more desire we have for the next game,
07:51we're going to be in a better place to win the game.
07:54Tom, Football London.
07:56Hi.
07:57We saw the Emirates on Tuesday, the light show and the integration of fans,
08:01you also saw the messages at half-time and the football game started to encourage fans
08:05to get back into their seats as well as early as possible to create a supportive and intimidating atmosphere.
08:10How important is that element for you in potentially tolerating the impact that you have on games?
08:14Key, capital. One of the most important things.
08:17And I love that because we don't expect supporters to turn up to the stadium.
08:23We want them just to play the game with us, which is very different.
08:27And in order to do that, you have to be in your seat.
08:29You have to be in your seat with a certain behaviour, with a certain body language.
08:33And it's a good test.
08:35Sunday at 2pm, how we're going to turn up after a big Champions League.
08:40And if we're going to go to another step and do something that we didn't do last year,
08:43everybody has to turn into the stadium with that mindset.
08:46So that's what I want to see.
08:49And can I ask you about what it's like playing against a former club?
08:53As Everett fans are going to do this weekend.
08:55You, of course, played against Everett.
08:56So you asked me, what challenges does that create for a player when they're playing teammates,
09:01former teammates and former friends, of course, so soon after they've moved?
09:04There is something else in your tummy, obviously.
09:06There is history.
09:07There are a lot of emotions.
09:08There are very close relationships.
09:11You might think once you have stepped in there and you go with that mindset,
09:16sometimes you have even more will to win.
09:18Because as well, obviously, you made that decision here to be successful
09:22and to achieve something else in your career.
09:25And I'm sure that EPS is going to be ready for that.
09:28So how many things do you think?
09:29Can I ask you about that when you said ten years ago you saw the importance of set pieces.
09:34I think that would have been your last year as a player doing a bad design suit.
09:38Is that because you saw where the game was going and you thought that was going to be a key part of the year of football that we're in now?
09:45Yeah, and because I went to City with the best manager in the world and I could see where we could have improvements.
09:51And it was clear because at some point I was doing that and I wasn't the best person in the world to do it.
09:56So if I'm not the best person in the world to do it and the best method to do it, there are ways to improve it.
10:01And you could see that straight afterwards when it started to happen.
10:05But it's not only obsessive that I'm the same.
10:07The defensive part in every transition, I want to be the best when it comes to chaos.
10:11I want to be the best when it comes to positional attack, the best when it comes to low blocks, the best.
10:16And that is the eagerness to constantly find ways to develop your team, to evolve your team
10:21and to give your players more tools to be more unpredictable and especially more efficient.
10:25That's it.
10:26And just one on that.
10:28And obviously, since Calvary is turning to be one of the best second stages in the country.
10:34I mean, it's had comparisons with today's bet.
10:37What would you say to that and what would you say to that?
10:40Then again, I heard some quotes that he made about that this season his position has changed a little bit.
10:49And I disagree with that because his position has evolved and he is becoming a total player.
10:55A total player has to be able to do as many things as possible.
10:58And he has the capacity to do that.
11:00So that's to evolve a player, to start to bring something else to the team.
11:04And especially when you talk about scoring goals and threatening the opposition goal even better.
11:09And he's been instrumental in our improvement in that part of the game.
11:13Harry, BBC.
11:14Just sticking with the theme of the midfield, obviously Martin Zubomendi is coming.
11:19It looks from the outside like he's adapted amazingly to the Premier League football.
11:24What would you say specifically he adds to your midfield that maybe you didn't have in previous seasons?
11:30Well, every player is different.
11:32We had some terrific midfielders here.
11:34He brings certain hierarchy, certain composure that it's very difficult to understand.
11:43And then the way he proceeds information and learns from the game
11:48and what is actually happening in the game at that speed is remarkable.
11:53And I think, again, about him it was about unlocking certain spaces
11:57and his capacity to look further and to help the opposition
12:01when his teammates are further from the ball and himself.
12:05And then, yeah, if he can add goals to it, even better.
12:08And then more to come from him then?
12:10Yeah, a lot, a lot more.
12:11And the more he understands his teammates, the timing of that
12:15and those relationships built, I think we'll see another level still on him.
12:21OK, the last couple of them has live sessions.
12:23First is James from GSPN.
12:24Yeah, since you've been able to see the game at IP Play set pieces,
12:27is it a key part of it then, the bit in between,
12:30but the work you do in IP Play to then create the IPs?
12:35And the other way around.
12:36I mean, the football is like this.
12:38The football doesn't stop, so it's all connected.
12:40If you want to see the game like this, OK, I don't.
12:44Do you feel the training in general is kind of moving more towards your way of thinking?
12:50I don't know, but it doesn't mean that it's more important.
12:54It's equally important.
12:55But what happens is what happens frequently in your games.
12:59And that's the thing that you have to really dominate.
13:01And that's the opportunities to help your opposition.
13:04So we have to train and make sure that the things that are good for us happen very, very often
13:09because it will be more difficult for the opponent.
13:12But I mean, I think everybody tries to do the same.
13:15So, you know, ten years ago you just had this idea.
13:18Can you just talk a bit about patience and maybe the frustration you had along the way?
13:23For ten years to have that idea, do you feel you're only now playing that comfortable?
13:28Can you just talk a bit about that too?
13:30No, no.
13:31It's not about that football.
13:32It's using those moments.
13:34And if you cannot generate other moments, make sure that you use these ones.
13:39But I think it's something that relates as well to the culture of the coach, the environment,
13:45and then the players that you have.
13:47And everything has to be aligned.
13:48I mean, if you want to have sets and approach to the way you play the game,
13:52we, for example, we are super aggressive.
13:54You better sign and educate and train situations when the team can deliver that.
13:59Because if not, you want to be a team that do really good high press,
14:02you better be the best in the world at tracking back.
14:04Because at some point, the point is going to break your press.
14:07So you have to have players that are able to deliver that.
14:10So it's all in relation to what you want to do.
14:12You have to acquire and have and evolve the players in that direction.
14:16Is this phase five?
14:17Sorry?
14:18Is this phase five?
14:20No, but this is not about the phases.
14:22Phase five was something else.
14:25Okay.
14:26Phil, from here.
14:28I know you spoke a little bit about this.
14:30The Chelsea record of being goals for the season,
14:35if you can continue on the part of the start of this year,
14:39you'll be able to break that record.
14:41Is it a cheat rule?
14:42And if it is, what sort of message does that have to the teams
14:45about how the top Arsenal are to break that?
14:48You mentioned there were if three times in that question.
14:50And in football, if, if, if is too many ifs.
14:53It's so unpredictable already.
14:54So on top of that, you put ifs.
14:56Then becomes extremely difficult.
14:59Focus on the things that we are doing.
15:01We are doing consistently well.
15:03And if we can improve them,
15:05and let's see where we are at the end of the season.
15:07Speaking of the best, I know you can see one goal.
15:10I mean, is that best thing you could have ever seen?
15:15And again, it's something that's really intimidating.
15:18Well, obviously it's something that, that is super positive.
15:22It's the first time that happened in our history.
15:25Imagine how difficult it is to do it.
15:27So, yeah, we are very, very happy to, to be performing at that level
15:32in a really important part of the game, especially.
15:35And now it's about to continue doing it.
15:37Okay.
15:38That finishes the as live section.
15:40We'll now go to 10 seconds.
15:41.
15:42.
15:43.
15:44.
15:46.
15:47.
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