Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta shouts instructions (Photo by Sean Botterill/Getty Images)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta held a press conference on Wednesday night ahead of his side’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
Read Arteta’s full press conference and find out the latest updates on the Gunners manager’s injury, pressure to win trophies, Per Mertesacker’s departure as head of the club’s academy and more.
Words from Mikel Arteta’s press conference
Latest injury information
These two (Hincapie and Calafioli) are not available yet, but the others are Willy (Saliva) and Leo (Trossard).
This is a scan of Clown Hincapie.
I don’t know yet.
Dear Riccardo Calafioli
He’s progressing, but we don’t know. Probably within a few weeks, but I don’t know exactly when.
About Saliba and Trossard
Those two are questionable.
About Max Dauman and Mosquera
(Max) is also a lot like (Christian) Mosquera. Very similar injuries, very similar time periods, and both evolving very well. But they haven’t trained yet, so it’s still a few weeks away.
Regarding the return of Kai Havertz
Obviously we missed him. A year is a long time in football, but like you said, the way he came back, he seems really healthy and really confident. He’s a very intelligent player and he’s someone who can connect very naturally with the players right away and you can see how much they love him. Because every time he was in or around the box, everyone would jump for a seat on the bench. Yes, we are very happy to have him. He will help us a lot. And now we have to keep him healthy.
About Havertz starting against Chelsea
We have to manage his minutes now, but he had a good 20-25 minute block the other day. He trained really well today too. Now we need to make him more robust so he can play in every game.
About his match against Liam Rosenior in the 2014 FA Cup Final
I’ve seen some pictures of it and that’s the beauty of football. The two have vastly different careers but will ultimately meet in the semi-final at Stamford Bridge tomorrow.
As to whether he knows Liam Rosenier well
No, I know the people who worked with him, especially the people who followed his journey as a coach, and they speak very highly of him. Well, I wish him the best of luck, except for tomorrow of course.
About how Rosenia uses travel as motivation
Well, personally, my motivation was to help the club and transform the football club and that was it, not to prove people wrong. In my case, that wasn’t the motive. They obviously know him well. Because they’ve been working with him for several years. And they definitely based that decision on his ability and because they believe he is the right person and the best person to lead that project.
What I learned from last year’s semifinals
Football gives you another chance, we’ve been really consistent in the competition again and now we have to eliminate another big team from the competition to get to the finals and that’s the mission. We want to learn from last year, especially the way we played the game and we missed a lot of chances, but I hope we can be better and more efficient this year.
On if Carabao Cup helps other competitions
Well, the more you participate in this type of game, the better. Because it gives you a boost and brings a different kind of energy to the team. You get the feeling that you’re getting very close to your goal, and that’s a huge motivator for everyone. So we know there are two games left until the finals. We have to take it game by game and the first game is at Stamford Bridge.
Noni Maduke’s performance against Portsmouth
He’s been very influential in some aspects, some very positive, some he needs to improve on in terms of consistency, but I think the level of threat he brings to the team is worth noting.
Aiming for further progress in this tournament
To do that we know we have to be better than our opponents tomorrow and that’s what we have to do. The rest is out of our control, so we went into the match really well prepared. The boys are really motivated and committed to it because we can feel that that’s where we want to be and that’s what we want and that we have to go the extra mile to achieve that goal tomorrow.
About team selection
Well, in our case, in my case, I don’t think you can do that. Because obviously the players have to be available to be able to pick the players there, and I don’t believe in players for the sake of the match, I believe that we have competition, and we want to compete in every match at the best moment of the players that we have the resources, and that’s what we’re trying to do.
Rosenior says Arsenal are good at everything
That’s what we’re trying to do, and we’re very good at some things, we’re better at some things, we’re better at some things, but certainly that’s the goal. The better you are at every phase, the better your chances of winning.
Regarding the retirement of Mr. Per Mertesacker
Well, I’ve been with the club for 15 years. We are teammates, friends, captains together and we have shared great projects in different roles, he as Academy Director and me as Manager. So I enjoy every moment of it. I think he is the person who will convey in the best way the values of this football club, its ambitions and everything related to it. I really appreciate it. we had a wonderful time together. Of course, he made that decision too. I wish him the best of luck in the next chapter, the next chapter, because I’m sure he’ll be successful.
Memories of winning the Carabao Cup during his time with Manchester City
Well, like I said before, when you get to this stage in a contest, when you get to the finals and cross the line and win, it brings energy, it brings belief, it brings a feeling that everyone is so important and that they have a part in it. So I think it’s something, if you get there and win, everyone remembers, and if you don’t, no one remembers. So when you get there, get the job done.
About the depth of the team
Finally, we must strive to manage our teams and individuals in the best possible way. I think we’re able to share our time while remaining very competitive and that’s what we have to strive for. Tomorrow we will have another chance to play with the players who will start and finish the game. With matches every three days, this situation will continue until May.
On what it took to help the club transform
From the position we are in and the perception we have internally and socially of where the club used to be in every sense of the word, get the club right back to the top at every level and win many big trophies.
Xabi Alonso’s departure from Real Madrid
Well, I don’t know much about the situation. I don’t know if it was Xavi’s decision to leave or the club’s decision. So obviously it’s very difficult to form an opinion. I wish Xavi the best of luck with whatever decision he makes. Because he’s a top guy and a great coach. I’m confident that whatever he does in the future, he’ll be at the top again.
About Calafiori issues
It was a muscle injury.
About helping make Bukayo Saka even stronger
Every position has its challenges, and your opponent will also learn from you and try to stop you in the obviously most efficient way. In order to fight efficiently and win, you need to have a solution for each opponent.
About Saka’s performance this season
I think his continued influence is incredible. I mean, it’s very hard to see a player playing in this position consistently doing what he’s doing. It’s great for the team and the players around him to have that support. But again, I think this season was really, really good.
Regarding the absence of goalkeepers in certain tournaments
Because at the end of the day it’s our job and my job is to prepare the team in the best possible way to compete and win every competition we compete in. Every match is different and every match requires different qualities and players. Each case is different, with players sometimes feeling really good and other times not having much confidence and playing less time. The keeper standing above him is also a very special case. Because they obviously play less than other players throughout the week. But we try to treat them in that sense.
About his center forward style
It depends on the opposition party. If you play against a very low block and your line drops, you won’t have a presence in the box. So I think every opponent requires a different analysis and quality, but in Gabi’s case it’s not just going down, there are a lot of other players like Victor and Kai.
On what it means to win the Carabao Cup
We will let you know at that time. So in the end, it’s all about how I feel about doing my best to win, and I feel like I’m really motivated. We’re looking forward to the big game tomorrow, but we’re also looking forward to seeing how we do in these scenarios to achieve what we want.
When you have to win the Carabao Cup
I understand that, but there are a lot of clubs that have to, have to, have to do that. One for each, I don’t think I can do the rest. So we try our best to do our best.
