- 18 hours ago
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Refocusing Arsenal for the Final 8 Weeks of the Season
03/04/2026
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
03/04/2026
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
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00:01We'll kick off with Gary from Sky.
00:04Award-winning.
00:05Hello.
00:05Again, hello there.
00:06Eighth time manager of the month.
00:08Always nice though.
00:10Well, that means that we won a lot of games
00:12in a really important and crucial part of the season,
00:15so a good team effort.
00:17Does that just add a little bit of extra inspiration
00:22given everything that you're involved in,
00:23doing the big competitions?
00:25I think that's a reflection of what the team is doing
00:28and the level of performances and the amount of games
00:32that we are winning, as I said.
00:33I think it's just a reflection of that.
00:36I'm not going to go through the list of medical updates,
00:39injury updates,
00:40otherwise we'll be here tomorrow
00:42and you're going to travel to Southampton,
00:44but I was quite interested,
00:46starting with the England boys,
00:47what Thomas Tuchel had to say about agreeing
00:50that it's friendly, they were feeling discomfort,
00:53it was right for them to go back to their club
00:55and be assessed.
00:56That's the kind of conversation you have, I guess,
00:58with all the national teams.
01:00Yes, and we have a very good relationship
01:02and communication with most of the national teams,
01:04certainly with Thomas.
01:06We've been extremely supportive all the time
01:09and when you have to communicate,
01:12the state and the moment of every player,
01:15we are always very honest
01:16and at the end there is a medical decision
01:18that has to be made,
01:19and that was clear what the conclusion was.
01:23And with all the teams,
01:25the Brazilians,
01:26the Spanish,
01:26the French,
01:27it benefits their World Cup hopes
01:30to rest players that need a rest
01:33as much as it benefits Arsenal, I guess.
01:34I think when a player is fit and available to play,
01:37he has to play
01:38and I think it makes us so proud
01:39that we have that many players in the national team
01:42and the players are desperate to play
01:44with the national team
01:44and we know how important
01:47every time that they are together
01:48and the time that they spend in preparation
01:50means to them, sorry.
01:53So we are fully supportive of that
01:55and when we can do it, we do it.
01:57So of the players who haven't been involved
01:59or have been partially involved in their national teams,
02:02are there any of those who may not be available to you
02:06over the next couple of games?
02:08You will see.
02:09I continue the speculation so you can do it
02:11and you can judge it afterwards.
02:13Did what I say was right
02:15or I have to maybe change and delete
02:18and write something else?
02:20But it's difficult anyway
02:21because you would, I'm sure,
02:22rest some of those players
02:24ahead of a big Champions League
02:25in that couple of days after.
02:27We are in a position right now
02:28that we are going to make
02:29the strongest line-ups and decisions
02:31that we possibly can
02:32to win every competition.
02:34We are two or three games away
02:36in the FA Cup
02:38and we know how important
02:40that competition is for us.
02:41With Noni,
02:42there was a lot made of the fact
02:43that he had a brace
02:45when he left after that first game.
02:46Is it as bad as it looks?
02:47No, it's not.
02:48It looked really, really bad
02:51and Noni was really worried
02:52especially after what happened
02:54in his other knee a few weeks ago
02:56and he was out for six weeks.
02:58But no,
02:59it's nowhere near that injury
03:01so that was really good news.
03:02I think Thomas said days.
03:03Is that right?
03:04I think so.
03:06And Epps probably though
03:07is going to be out a little bit?
03:08Epps is out, yeah.
03:09How long?
03:10That's not said.
03:11With Epps,
03:12I cannot put a finger there
03:14because I don't know
03:15because he's a special character.
03:17I have a good news
03:18on the injury front
03:19before we move on
03:20and that's obviously
03:21they weren't quite ready
03:22to take part
03:23in the Carabao Cup final
03:24but Martin and Jurian
03:26are probably available here.
03:28Those are in contention
03:29to possibly be in the squad.
03:31In terms of the goalkeeper
03:33for a domestic cup game,
03:35can we assume
03:36that the keeper
03:36who starts tomorrow
03:37will be Spanish
03:39and have a name
03:40that ends in A?
03:40in A?
03:44I think tomorrow
03:45the goalkeeper
03:46is going to be
03:47he's European,
03:51he's under 32,
03:54right footed
03:56and speaks
03:57at least two languages.
04:01perfect.
04:02Yeah.
04:07The game,
04:08sorry, sorry.
04:10It's an important game
04:12in the quarter final
04:13of the FA Cup.
04:14Yeah.
04:15You've outdone me there.
04:17Okay.
04:18You've done me many times
04:20so we are ten to one,
04:21no worry.
04:23Another Wembley appearance
04:25at stake.
04:26Yeah.
04:28How important is it,
04:29just probably the third
04:30of the most competitions
04:32you're involved in
04:32in terms of importance
04:33but still nice
04:34to get to Wembley?
04:35Yeah, huge competition
04:36so related to the history
04:38of our football club
04:39and we're going to play
04:40a team that is
04:41in a really good moment.
04:42They won so many games
04:43recently,
04:44it's in a really good moment.
04:46You know the expectations,
04:47the crowd,
04:47the environment
04:48that they're going to create.
04:49So we are ready for that
04:51and we want to win Wembley again
04:52so tomorrow we have the opportunity
04:54to do that again.
04:55They're on a really good run,
04:57aren't they?
04:59And important to them as well,
05:00it's the 50th anniversary
05:01of them as a second division side
05:04it was called then
05:05beating a giant Manchester United
05:07in the Cup final.
05:08So there's a lot to contend with
05:10there for your players,
05:11isn't there?
05:12That's the magic of the FA Cup
05:13that every scenario,
05:15every context,
05:16every game has a history
05:17and this one is a special one
05:20and we are ready to face that tomorrow.
05:23And unusually,
05:24they'll be in yellow at home
05:25because of that anniversary
05:28and you'll be in red away.
05:30Yes.
05:31Which is special again,
05:32so good.
05:34Thank you very much.
05:36I'm going to work out
05:36who the keeper is now.
05:37Okay.
05:40Hi, Miguel.
05:41Just on Southampton in recent years,
05:44I was wondering,
05:44do you kind of look back at
05:46previous games against them?
05:48Because it's not always been
05:49a straightforward game
05:50at St. Mary's for Arsenal.
05:53Epic Cup a few years ago
05:56after you'd won it.
05:57I think you lost there.
05:59But other draws as well
06:01at that stadium.
06:02Do you look back at those games
06:04and just kind of try to see
06:06what went wrong
06:07and what can go right this time?
06:08Well, yes.
06:09There are certain things
06:10that are going to be similar,
06:11but obviously with the new manager,
06:14with the players
06:14and the amount of changes
06:17that they had in the squad,
06:18it is very different.
06:19And at the end,
06:20you have to talk about the moment,
06:21what they are doing in this moment
06:23and what we are doing.
06:25And we as well are,
06:25obviously,
06:26a very different team.
06:27And in terms of just
06:28this last block of games
06:30for this season,
06:32in recent years,
06:33I think probably the best
06:34end to a season Arsenal had
06:36was in 2024
06:38when you won 16 out of your last 18 games.
06:42I was wondering,
06:42was there anything you learnt
06:43from that season in particular
06:45in terms of how you and your team
06:47and staff even approached
06:50that kind of back end to the season?
06:52Yes, we look back at those things
06:53and the things that we did,
06:55the things that we can work.
06:56But again,
06:56it's a different group.
06:58We are in a different position
07:00as well in certain competitions
07:01compared to that year
07:03because there we were just talking
07:04about a certain competition.
07:07But yeah,
07:08we will try to do what we believe
07:10is the right thing,
07:11what the team needs
07:12to give ourselves the best chance
07:13to win every game.
07:15Can I just check on Piero quickly?
07:18He's obviously came off as well.
07:19Was that a serious problem?
07:20Yes, he's out.
07:21Yeah, he's out.
07:22Do you have any idea
07:23how long yet?
07:23No.
07:24And on Ben White,
07:26there was obviously a big deal
07:26for him to be back in England.
07:27Yeah.
07:28Very exciting for him.
07:30Firstly,
07:31how excited were you for that?
07:31But how disappointed too
07:32were you to see the boos
07:34in both the matches?
07:35The volume was down,
07:37so I could not hear that.
07:38I could just see
07:39that big smile on his face
07:40and the way he came back
07:42from the national team
07:43and the good thing that he was telling
07:46about everybody,
07:47about the group,
07:47about the meetings that they had,
07:50about Thomas and everybody.
07:52So that's great to hear
07:53because when you send a player
07:54to a national team,
07:55you really want to bring back
07:58a better player,
07:59a player that is happy,
08:00a player that is available and fit.
08:03And that was certainly Ben's case.
08:04And on the other end
08:06of the spectrum,
08:06you're obviously a tough
08:07international rate
08:07for Calafiore.
08:09Yeah.
08:10What conversations
08:11have you had with him
08:12and how did you lift him
08:13after that?
08:15I tried to lift him.
08:16I think not only for Ricky,
08:17I think for Italy,
08:19I think for football.
08:20You know,
08:21a country like them
08:23with such a passion,
08:24such a history,
08:25not to win a World Cup,
08:26it's tough
08:27and I don't think
08:27it's good for football.
08:28But that shows you as well
08:30the difficulty of going
08:31through all those phases
08:32to end the right
08:33to be in the competition.
08:35Tom?
08:36Hi, Mikel.
08:37The other big story
08:38at the break was
08:39Victor Jokeres' contributions
08:40for Sweden,
08:41four goals in two games
08:42and taken to the World Cup.
08:44I remember we talked
08:44earlier in the season
08:45about when Mika Marino
08:46scored a hat-trick
08:46and you wanted to kind of
08:47use that momentum.
08:48I imagine you wanted
08:49to do similar with Victor.
08:51Yes, and especially
08:52the importance of those goals.
08:54I mean,
08:54I can imagine how much
08:57it means for him
08:58to get his country
08:59over the line
09:00and the position
09:01that they were in
09:02to be able now
09:03to play the World Cup.
09:04So, he was positive
09:05and he was full of energy
09:06and confidence
09:07and that's great.
09:08Have you noticed
09:09just in the short time
09:10you've had your players back,
09:11the players that are now
09:12going to be going to those
09:13World Cup,
09:13have you noticed a difference
09:14in their demeanour
09:15and excitement
09:16about the end of the season?
09:18Very difficult to say.
09:19Obviously,
09:20the first day
09:21when they are coming back
09:21they are still carrying
09:22that energy,
09:23but they all come back
09:25really happy to this place
09:26and that's something
09:27really, really positive
09:29to witness
09:29and that's the important
09:30thing.
09:31Now we have to focus
09:31on the club
09:32and after we play
09:35the last game
09:35they can have plenty
09:36of time to prepare
09:37the World Cup.
09:38Phil from PA.
09:39Hi, Michael.
09:40This is obviously
09:41Arsenal's first game
09:42since the Carabao Cup final.
09:44Obviously, that didn't
09:45get quite as well
09:46as you guys wanted.
09:47How key is it tomorrow
09:48to be able to put in
09:49a performance
09:49just to say
09:51that hasn't had
09:51a knock-on effect,
09:52losing the final
09:53and that Arsenal
09:53are still fighting?
09:55Yeah,
09:56when you didn't
09:57manage to win
09:58that final,
09:59I think what you have
09:59to take on board
10:00is how this is going
10:02to make us stronger
10:03for the final push
10:04of the season.
10:05And that has been
10:06the mindset,
10:07all the work
10:07that we have done
10:09in the last few days
10:10to use that as fuel,
10:12as tools
10:15to be able
10:16to get the final push
10:17that we want
10:18and achieve what we want.
10:19What have you seen
10:20from the group?
10:21Have you seen
10:21that they've been
10:22on international duty?
10:23Have you seen
10:24that they've been
10:25disappointed or
10:25that they're eager
10:26to use that fuel?
10:28Yeah, immediately
10:29I could sense that
10:30and the way we look
10:31at ourselves
10:31and the things
10:32that we could have
10:34done better
10:34and how the game
10:36can shift as well
10:37at that level
10:37from the first
10:38and second half.
10:40That's something
10:40that we need
10:41to manage better
10:42and again,
10:43this is going to
10:44make us better,
10:44I'm sure,
10:45and we have to use
10:47for the most important
10:48and beautiful part
10:49of the season.
10:50Just one over the clue.
10:52His numbers
10:53probably haven't
10:53quite as good
10:54as they have been
10:54in other seasons.
10:56Are you worried
10:57at all about that
10:58or do you think
10:59that he's going to
10:59find his best form
11:00still in the crunch
11:01part of the season?
11:02Yeah, I'm certain
11:04of that.
11:04I spoke to him.
11:05Again, everybody's
11:06going to remember
11:07what we've done
11:08in the last part
11:09of the season.
11:09And in this final push
11:10of eight weeks,
11:12what we're going
11:13to deliver individually
11:14and that's where
11:16now we can impact
11:17what we've done
11:17in October and November.
11:18It's irrelevant,
11:19it's done,
11:20it's about now
11:21and how we prepare
11:21ourselves to give
11:23the best chance
11:24to win one with one.
11:27Hi, Mikel.
11:28Just slightly building
11:29on some of that,
11:30I wonder how useful
11:31the international break
11:32has been for you
11:33and your staff
11:34and maybe even
11:35off the back
11:35of the Carabao Cup
11:36final for the players
11:38and I'm also curious
11:38as to how many times
11:39you and your staff
11:40have a free watch
11:41the Carabao Cup final?
11:43Yeah.
11:43Well, ideally you play
11:44a game the next day.
11:45That's the thing.
11:46And when you have
11:47an international break
11:48sometimes it's not
11:50exactly what you want
11:51but okay,
11:52use it in the right way.
11:53We had a lot of work
11:54done,
11:55analyse what we've been doing
11:56not only on that one
11:57but in the last 120 days,
12:00the amount of games
12:01that we play,
12:01our winning ratio,
12:02the things that we have
12:03accomplished,
12:04give some perspective
12:04and at the same time
12:06be very critical
12:06with what we can do
12:08better to help
12:09the players more
12:10and to be able
12:11to win any game
12:12in any context.
12:14Okay?
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