00:10I'll try to come to you.
00:11I'll try to come to you, okay?
00:13Good evening, everyone.
00:14We'll try to get around to as many people as we can.
00:16Obviously, quite busy tonight.
00:17If you have a question, raise your hands.
00:20If you're ready, we'll come firstly to Dharmesh from Sky Sports.
00:25Mikel, congratulations.
00:26You said that you wanted your team to write their own history.
00:32And they've done just that.
00:33Is that the message that you've just sent to them in the dressing room just now?
00:37My message was gratitude to them.
00:40I know the effort, the commitment that they put in.
00:42So, there's a lot of work behind it.
00:44We've done something that has never been done in the history of our club in 140 years.
00:49So, that tells you the difficulty of that.
00:52We have to do it as well in a very special way,
00:54missing a lot of important players.
00:56Big credit to that.
00:57And I'm especially happy to our supporters
01:00because they were right behind the team today.
01:02And we're going to have two magical nights.
01:04One in Madrid and another here in London against Atletico.
01:08So, very proud of that.
01:10Sam, take off.
01:11Hi, Mikel.
01:11Can you give us an idea of the physical strain on the players at the moment?
01:16It looks like a lot of them are just battling.
01:20Yes, but when I see them track back when we lose the ball
01:23and the habits that they have, it's just amazing.
01:25That's why I know what they are doing, these players.
01:28There is a reason why we are the only English team in the competition
01:30because this league and this schedule takes the hell out of you
01:34and it's very difficult to do what we've done.
01:38We are not perfect.
01:39We need to improve things, that's for sure.
01:41We recognise that.
01:42But let's value what these players have done
01:45because they deserve it.
01:47Just on that theme, Nani came off, he was limping at the end.
01:50What is that injury and how bad is it?
01:52I don't know.
01:53It was something in his knee, so we had to take him off.
01:56So, I don't know the extent of that.
01:58Josh from the front.
02:00Hi, Mikel.
02:00You spoke about the fire before the game.
02:02Do you feel like you got that fire out of your players tonight?
02:05100%.
02:06And especially, I saw that in moments of difficulty
02:09and when we give the ball away in circumstances
02:11that is not very much like us.
02:15How willing everybody is.
02:17Declan yesterday, he was shattered.
02:19He had no chance to play today.
02:21He wasn't feeling good at all today.
02:23He played 94 minutes at the level that he's on.
02:26Piero, the same.
02:27Every single player is putting everything through the line
02:30to contribute, to give it his best
02:33and I really value that from the team.
02:36Alex from the BBC.
02:37Hi, Mikel.
02:38Do performances matter at this stage of the season?
02:41If you aren't at your best, does it matter?
02:42Or do you care if Arsenal aren't at their best
02:45if you get over the line?
02:45You have to be better than the opponent
02:47and I think we have many periods in the game
02:49that we were there.
02:50We didn't score the goal,
02:52we didn't finalise the actions well enough.
02:53But we had many other things that are very important
02:57to get the result that you need in a tie.
03:00And it's at this moment as well about the way you compete
03:03and when you're going to go and win titles,
03:07that's when it's going to define the moments
03:09and we certainly don't that tonight.
03:13At the full-time whistle, you had a big sigh of relief
03:16because there was a really close chance at the end
03:18when you were shaking hands with the sporting manager.
03:20Do you think that this kind of narrow progression
03:24into the semi-final can really help you now
03:25heading into Sunday's game?
03:27100%.
03:27This is a massive boost.
03:29To be in a semi-final of the Champions League,
03:32it's extremely tough.
03:34And we know what we've done.
03:36We deserve it, fully deserve it as well.
03:38And we're going to enjoy it because we deserve it.
03:41Tom, for Blondon.
03:42Hi, Mikel.
03:43Hi.
03:43Declan stepped up as captain.
03:45We've noticed that there's been games where Gabriel's worn the armband
03:48when Rice's been on the field.
03:49You've made the decision to give Rice the armband now.
03:52What's behind that?
03:52They made a decision.
03:53And they made a decision because Declan has earned as well.
03:57The status, the role, the way he's taking ownership as well
04:03in difficult moments.
04:05And yeah, he's a great leader.
04:07He's a top player for us.
04:08And I love that the players take their ownership.
04:11And one from Porto, please.
04:13Hi.
04:13Hola.
04:15If you were on the other side, if you were a sporting coach,
04:20would you consider this outcome fair?
04:22Sorry?
04:23If you consider this outcome, the result?
04:26I don't know.
04:27I'm the Arsenal manager and I think it's very fair
04:29what happened over the last two leagues.
04:31Yeah.
04:32OK, we'll do James from CBS.
04:35Hi, Michael.
04:35I'm sure from the outside it feels quite tense holding on to a one-goal lead.
04:39But when your team can go from the 67th minute to that last kick of the ball,
04:43not allowing a shot, no touches in the opposition box, I don't think.
04:47Do you feel like actually you can trust your team on a one-goal lead?
04:51Do you share the tension that maybe others will feel?
04:53I do, but I prefer to score the goal.
04:55And especially when we have the transition when David throws the balls to Leo
04:58to finish that action.
05:00The game is a finish and it's over.
05:01And we don't even give that chance after the long throw
05:04to suffer in the manner that we did in that action.
05:07But that's something to learn and improve as well.
05:10I have one here.
05:12Michael, can I do it in Portuguese?
05:15Do you have it?
05:17Primeiro, porquê que tirou o Iócaras tão cedo do jogo
05:20e o que é que é show da exibição?
05:21E depois se viu o lance
05:24em que o Sporting pediu o penalti
05:25sobre o Maxi Araújo com o Mosquera?
05:29Con VÃctor, porque creo que o partido requerÃa outra cosa,
05:31outro tipo de perfil de 9
05:32que nos asociara más, que se quedara la pelota más,
05:36não havia espaço para correr.
05:38E Caio nos dá eso.
05:39Nos dá muita consistencia.
05:41Sobre a acción, no la visto.
05:42Lo que me han dicho é que no era penalti,
05:44pero yo personalmente no la visto.
05:47We're not going to be able to get around to everyone,
05:48so I'm sorry, guys, we'll do two more.
05:49We'll do Phil from PA first.
05:50Hi, Mikel.
05:51Just give us an insight into how you feel,
05:54because obviously there must be a bit of relief there,
05:56because this game was probably quite a banana skin,
05:58given what's happened.
05:59So just do you feel that sort of relief?
06:01But what happened?
06:03The previous defeat against Bournemouth and the other results.
06:06I know, but what happens in reality of where we are,
06:09I don't know if the context and the reality are very much a sight.
06:14I wish that we were doing the Arsenal documentary this season,
06:16and you can film the last 48 hours and everything that has been said,
06:21but we are watching the series in July,
06:24and then we have to ask ourselves the question.
06:26We are watching the movies and said,
06:28okay, where is Arsenal's place?
06:29I think all of us will say,
06:31they are in the bottom three.
06:33What are we talking about, guys?
06:35Please, enjoy where we are as a club.
06:38If someone doesn't want to do it,
06:40so beer, we are enjoying a lot,
06:43and I feel huge gratitude for what the players are doing
06:45and our supporters.
06:46So thank you.
06:47And finally, there's a question in Spanish, I believe.
06:50How are you?
06:50David Peña, from the Agencia EFE.
06:51Congratulations on the semifinals,
06:53it's another consecutive year.
06:54Thank you very much.
06:54I would like to ask you about the Atletico Madrid.
06:57You have already played with them in the group phase.
07:00Great victory 4-0.
07:01I don't know if you can choose the aspects of that match
07:03for this semifinal.
07:05And also, how much do you give them?
07:08Would you like to applaud yourself if you're going to play
07:11the first two games?
07:15We will play them in the givenary way.
07:21We will play them in the second eight-page match.
07:23We will play them in the second half.
07:24I'll play them in the second half.
07:29We will play up for it for the next time.
07:33We will play them in the third half.
07:36We will play them in the third half.
07:38Thanks, everyone.
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