Arteta on White's positive attitude and Arsenal injuries

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on White's positive attitude and Arsenal injuries  03/12/2025  Emirates Stadium, London, UK

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00:00You managed to rest and rotate three players but still got a couple of injuries by Luxor and a big win, how would you sum up what do you think?

00:09Yeah, rest, that's quite a positive word to use.

00:13We had to make some changes, we had a very demanding week at every level, emotionally, physically, what the game demanded.

00:21In the tactical and technical aspect of it, we were asked to play three days later, one less recovery than them.

00:27And still performing the way that we've done it against a team that is super well coached, very well organised,

00:33that they are very clear how they want to generate big chances and they are really good at doing that.

00:38So one nil we knew wasn't enough, I don't think we considered anything apart from the save that they had to make on the corner.

00:45But the game was always open, you know, and we needed that extra energy to close it.

00:49And maybe when we didn't have it, we had the courage to take the ball under pressure

00:54and to start to create their press to very good movement and purpose with the ball to go and score a second goal and win the game.

01:03Anything worrying about the players who play more?

01:05Yes, obviously it's never good news, Declan had to come off, we don't know, we have to see tomorrow what he's got.

01:10And Mosque is the other one that is out, obviously we have big Gabi and Willy out as well.

01:16So we have to adapt, it's been a team this season, but when I look at the players that haven't been playing much,

01:23for example Ben White, the performance that he had on Martin that has been out and he puts 96 minutes under his belly straight away,

01:29not only the same victor that is coming and now he's getting some minutes as well.

01:33So, very pleased to see that.

01:35Just a word on Michael Marino, who keeps showing that he can be one hell of a striker as well as a...

01:40He was immense again, I think, today. The way he scored the goal, super smart, his timing, the way he wins the position and execution.

01:48But after his overall performance, with the ball, without the ball, I remember an action that he passed the ball to Martin in behind,

01:55Martin doesn't chase it, he makes 40 metres to chase it to a corner flag, goes back, wins the ball back.

02:00I mean, he is everywhere and he's got with that really good momentum at the moment and he makes the team much better.

02:08Gary, Sky Sports.

02:10Michael was here in the beginning to take a breath from Arsenal fans when Beckham went down and came off.

02:15He seems to be moving all right at the end when he went back onto the pitch,

02:18with a little bit of strapping maybe on his calf, his left calf. Can you give us any more insights?

02:24Talking about fans and support, I asked them to be here at 7.30, I think they were earlier,

02:28so thank you so much to all of them for being with us, because we needed that energy today.

02:33And, yeah, he could not carry on playing, so we have to wait and see tomorrow what happens.

02:38He's moving all right, seems to be moving all right.

02:40Yeah, he can walk, but he cannot play.

02:43He's played a lot of minutes suddenly for Arsenal and for England, so would it almost be a precaution anyway if he went down?

02:48The thing is, play a lot of minutes, but as well, when?

02:51You know, now we play Wednesday night and we have to play Saturday morning as well.

02:54We can play minutes, but if they can please give us just a little bit more time to recover

03:00and to make the welfare of these players a little bit easier, that would be great.

03:04Tom?

03:05There was a clean sheet for the first time since November for the Slavia Prague game,

03:12five goals conceded in those games since then.

03:14There was a big moment when you broke that record for clean sheets back in November.

03:18I guess now you want to start that record again, it was important to keep a clean sheet for the first time.

03:22Yeah, we talked about that, I think it was four games that we managed to do that for different reasons.

03:27We conceded from a set-piece against Chelsea and against Sunderland as well.

03:31The other ones are a little bit different.

03:34Today we probably should have conceded a goal if it's not for David as well and the save that he's made,

03:40but I think apart from that we didn't really conceded that much.

03:43What was the specifics of Mosquera's injury, by the way?

03:46You weren't exactly sure. Was it knee or ankle?

03:48Yeah, we have to wait and see. It's probably part of the knee or ankle, we don't know.

03:54He could not really tell us exactly how it was, but he wasn't able to continue.

03:59James, CBS?

04:00Hi Mikel, I just wanted to ask you again on the other Mikel.

04:04One of the things that's really been apparent in the last few games is how he's able to now drop into midfield

04:09and create that box. Could you reflect on how he's grown into this role

04:14and made playing as a centre-forward fit Mikel Marina?

04:19I said it earlier, I think, in the press conference.

04:21His curiosity has his will to learn and probably his will to help the team.

04:29He knew that we had a major problem from the beginning of the season when we lost.

04:33Victor, Kai was out and Gaby Jesus was out.

04:36So we needed a solution and he did it last year really, really well.

04:40I think this season is probably taking it to another step because he's able to do even more things.

04:45So I think the team is really grateful and he's enjoying it.

04:49Alex, Athletic.

04:50Hi.

04:51When you spoke about Ben White a couple of weeks ago, you mentioned that he had to prove himself

04:55when the opportunity came to him.

04:57I'm guessing you feel he did tonight, but just how much have you missed him in this kind of spell that he hasn't been playing?

05:04Personally, I think I'm very, very happy for him as a human being.

05:09I think the rest of the team is the same because he's a player that played always for us.

05:13And sadly, because of the right reasons, he wasn't playing that much because Jurgen was excellent

05:18and he was out for a while and then he needed to earn his plays.

05:21But his attitude has been so positive, so good.

05:25And then when you are ready and you're given the opportunity, you take it like he did today.

05:29So I'm very happy that we have him back in the best version of himself as well.

05:34And we're going to need him because he's a tremendous player.

05:37In terms of the 90 minutes today, how did you assess it?

05:41Because it felt at 1-0 when, I don't know, it seems there were times where players go for that second goal

05:49and they maybe wanted to keep the one-goal lead.

05:52When the games get open and it seemed a bit tense, how did you feel about it?

05:55Yeah, I think we had three big chances to put the second one.

05:58We didn't do it and then when we were going for the second one, the game became a little bit open.

06:03We started to be a bit late in certain moments in the high press.

06:06They break it and the pitch is stretched.

06:08And then we needed to be a bit more compact but I think we went through that period really well

06:14when we started to take the ball and do what we had to do with the ball to bring the momentum down,

06:19bring the composure and the ball to the areas that we wanted to attract them

06:25and to use the open spaces that they left and score the second goal.

06:29With Benoit, do you think there's signs there that he's potentially back to his best age?

06:35Against Mbjart in October, he seems to be just getting back to things where it's not the overlap,

06:40especially with Medoheke.

06:42He seemed like his overlap with Saka a few seasons ago.

06:45Did you see it like that?

06:46The first thing is to defend the defence and defend with that purpose and with that determination and efficiency.

06:51He's done that today and then if he can add the value that he can add with the ball through his passing,

06:57through his movement and through the deliveries that he can put with the quality that he has,

07:02I think he's done both very well.

07:04And on Ryse, what do you make of that when he tips them to the crossbar?

07:08I'm sorry to him, because they are so good at that as well.

07:12It's a big moment again.

07:16Michael, just on Marino again, his story is a little bit of an example for the players,

07:21because the signings you made in the summer, maybe from the outside,

07:25made it look like he was going to struggle to get in the team

07:27and yet here he is in December, markedly the most important player.

07:31Yes, I think that's a lesson and I took that lesson because the whole summer I was thinking

07:36if we bring a nine, what was going to happen with Gaby, Jesus and Kaya?

07:40And I had a lot of nightmares just thinking because I liked them so much as well.

07:43OK, what are we going to do? How are we going to handle?

07:45And so far we haven't had the problem because they've been injured, you know,

07:48so live the present, live the moment and deal with the situation when it comes. That's it.

07:55Michael, you mentioned the schedule you've got at the moment.

07:58Do you feel that's what's contributed to Declan's injury tonight and a number of the ones you've had?

08:03Probably it's not one thing, but we can help the players and everybody in the league

08:08and everybody to do what they have to do, give it another day.

08:12And especially the teams that are playing so much in Europe, to everybody in general,

08:16I think we can do that because we are going to benefit from that.

08:19We never had such a schedule at every level, not only in the Premier League,

08:22but every competition internationally as well, so we need to try to do that, please.

08:27I'm sure you've made that argument for a few years, a lot of managers work.

08:30Do you ever feel like you're...?

08:31It's not an argument, I think it's common sense.

08:33I think it's not at some point this becomes too much, you know,

08:38and the players are not machines, but we have to try to do that when we can.

08:42Okay, everyone?

08:44Cheers.

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