Here is every word Mikel Arteta said during his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Atletico Madrid
Mikel Arteta faced the media ahead of his Arsenal side’s clash with Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final. Having earned a 1-1 draw in the Spanish capital, a win of any form will take the Gunners through to their first final in the competition since 2006.
The Gunners boss provided the latest team news, including the updates on Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, who all missed the open training session. Yet, as expected, the Spaniard was typically elusive with his answers.
The weight of the game is what truly came across in Arteta’s answers. The knowledge that this Arsenal side are on the verge of history with victory and one which could create a truly unique achievement for the club.
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Here is every word from the manager:
Before we get into stuff about the game tomorrow night, can I have some team news updates, please? There was no Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard in training today, so are they available for tomorrow?
Yeah, they’re available, and the squad both of them.
How much is it a boost to have Havertz?
Great, because we need options, we need the capacity to play different games tomorrow, whether it’s from the start or after. So it’s really, really good news for us to have them both back.
And just to clarify, that’s Havertz and Odegaard?
Yes.
You said tomorrow’s game is one of the biggest in the stadium’s history, so what are you looking forward to?
I can’t wait. I mean, I feel the energy in and amongst the team, our supporters. So this is the moment that we want to live together. We have a lot of work as a club, as a team, after 20 years to be in this position again. And we are so hungry to get the game that we want tomorrow and go through to that final.
On Saturday, Bukayo Saka looked back to his best, so just how important is it to have him in his top level?
Great, that’s what we need when we arrive in this stage of the competition. For the players not only to be available, but to be in top condition to perform and make the difference. And Bukayo certainly gave us that.
On Friday, you talked about defining a piece of history in the club’s history. Tomorrow night feels just as epic. What an opportunity. How excited are you and the squad? And how ready are you to craft that opportunity?
Huge excitement. Really hungry. It’s difficult to express the desire to live that moment. Especially with our people in front of them. They’ve been waiting for so long to have this kind of night. Push hard tomorrow, because it’s something amazing that’s going to happen.
What is your final message to both players and the fans?
Go and grab it. When you are in front of such an opportunity, it means that you are ready to deliver. And the team is going to go from the first minute to go and get that.
You’re so close now to achieving something extraordinary, something historic. Often managers in this position tell their players that we’re going to ban any talk of titles, ban any talk of Champions League winning that trophy. Can you give us an insight into what your approach is? Whether you’ve had any of those conversations with the players?
No. The conversation is always, first of all, to get the best preparation for the game. We know the game that we’re going to be playing tomorrow, the games that we’re going to play tomorrow within that game. Be prepared, be ready, be quality, be clarity and deliver on the day. That’s the most important thing.
Visualisation is a very powerful thing. Have you allowed yourself, maybe, to think about the end goal? Have you pictured Martin Odegaard lifting those trophies?
I’ve done it many years ago. The thing that I had in mind for this club, you can never promise to win major trophies. You can promise to work every single day with the vision and implementing and being determined with the ideas and the decisions that you take to bring this club to be one of the best in Europe. Here we are. Now we have to make the next step.
Just one final one for me. It concerns Myles Lewis-Skelly. How big of a selection headache has it given you? Was it an expected selection headache?
No, because I know Myles, but the same with Myles, the same with Richy, all the players, Mosquera when he’s been involved, a lot of players. So that’s a good thing. We always talked about, in this moment, we need players with a great emotional state because I think that determines the rest and we are feeling very good for tomorrow.
How much of your message to the players is to have no regrets tomorrow night, and when they walk off that pitch, they can look in the mirror and say, I left everything out there?
The first word [regret] I never like to put into such a big night is about what we want to happen, what we are going to do. That’s the thing that will be discussing.
What makes you believe this time you can make it to the final when a year ago you weren’t able to take that final step?
What I see every single day. They have given me the reason to believe, to trust these players and to be convinced that we can do it in any context against any opponent. This is football, and tomorrow we’re going to have to prove it throughout the game.
At left-back, you’ve got two very good players who’ve had very good seasons. How do you perceive those two, Piero and Richy? What kind of qualities and how they differ? Can you give us an indication of what you might want from them tomorrow?
Very different. We rarely had both of them available at the same time for long periods. We’re more restricted in terms of the opponent and the connection that we want to generate throughout the game or with the teammates to choose from there. Now they are both available, and that’s a great option because they are, as you said, so different.
Atletico have rotated their entire starting line-up over the weekend. Do you think the win over Fulham that came in is even better preparation for your side?
For us it’s great preparation. It’s the preparation and the schedule that we have. We maximise that in every team, and the team has so much energy and is ready to go for more.
There’s quite a lot of supporter activity planned for tomorrow. The fans are hoping to meet the bus when it arrives at the stadium. There’s a huge Tifo that will be unveiled for the East End. What’s your message to the supporters ahead of the game? What do you want them to bring tomorrow?
I don’t think his message is needed. It’s what is at stake, he says it all. I think it’s his location, it’s the moment, it’s the game. Let’s live this together and let’s make it happen.
A lot of the emotive words are history and excitement. We don’t normally speak to you so late before a home game. How will you relax tonight? Will you sleep well? And if you’re struggling, we’re going to go and watch the Everton match in the pub if you want to join us.
I will sleep well for sure. I’m used to working this type of hours so there is no change. And there is a change for the reason to play the Champions League semi-final tomorrow. That’s great.
These are two teams that are very well established in Europe yet to lift the Champions League trophy. What does that say to you about the difficulty of this competition? And how much these teams will both want it so much?
Well, how tough is it to be in the position that we are in? And in our history, it tells us. And the level of every team and the competition shows every day that being here deserves a lot of credit to everybody that is involved in it. And obviously we know where we want to be.
Atletico had the benefit of resting the majority of their players at the weekend that we expect to start. You didn’t have that luxury because of what you have at stake in the league. But was it almost slightly more beneficial to gain that momentum and how you won that game against Fulham to lead you into this than having 11 players rested?
Yes, and as well we didn’t do anything related to tomorrow’s game. Everything was related to Fulham and what we have to do to win the Premier League. And that’s what we did. I think it left a really good taste to everybody, the players, the team, the supporters. And now we have to use that momentum towards tomorrow because it’s exactly what we need.
Last week, it was quite an intimidating atmosphere for the away leg but you coped with it really well. How much do you think your supporters can make it intimidating for Atletico?
It was an unbelievable atmosphere. One of the best that I’ve witnessed and it was great to play there. And I can’t wait. I can’t wait to live this moment with our supporters, our people and generate something really, really special to get into that final. Okay, we’ll do a couple of questions in Spanish.
(Spanish section – translated)
You’ve won 41 of the 58 games you’ve played this season. That’s only happened once in the history of this club, in 1971. Does that give you more confidence to continue trusting these players or is it the same?
Winning and winning. What can I say? I think that the way they compete, the way they play and the desire they have to win have shown me throughout the year that you have to trust them. And that confidence comes from what I see and what I feel. Tomorrow will be a different game, but we’re ready to play it, we’re ready to compete and above all to win it.
We’ve seen Julián Alvarez training at the beginning of training. I don’t know if his inclusion in the game, whether he’s there or not, determines your approach to each game.
I can’t control that, so I can’t condition myself. Tomorrow they’ll do something, they’ll start with some, they’ll finish with others. It’s the same as we have. That’s the problem they have. We’ll adapt, as always, and we’ll play the game where we think is best for us.
I think it’s great that Atleti are attacking better than they’re defending. I don’t know what Atleti are waiting for tomorrow. They’re more aggressive; they’ve come out of the game. If you expect them to be more aggressive in the next game, what do Atleti expect tomorrow?
We’ll have to see. I don’t know what they’ve proposed, I’m not there. I think they have the ability to do a lot of things very well, which is why they’re here. There will be moments for everything, I imagine, in the game, like in the game against Madrid. Each one has a game that interests them more and now they have a better one.
How do you think you will be perceived as a coach in Spain?
Well, I don’t know. I don’t know, because I don’t live there. I imagine, or I hope, that it’s someone with a lot of passion, honest, and who gives absolutely everything for his club and his players.
How important is it to face this return match with a full stadium with the fans?
It’s a dream for us to have the chance tomorrow to go to a Champions League final in front of our fans tomorrow. It’s something we haven’t experienced in so many years. It’s something special and we’re really looking forward to it.
There’s the feeling, or at least in Atletico Madrid, that Arsenal got away with it. Is that your intention, to take the game to how it ended? I don’t know how you’ve changed the team in the minds of your players. I mean, it can’t be repeated like that.
Well, we played a very clear game, especially in the moments we lived. And above all, we focused on the game we want for tomorrow, which are our weapons and how to take it there.
You have three Premier League games, two Champions League games, about to make history, does this go through your head?
The only thing I have is to finish preparing tomorrow, as best as possible, the game, the team, and that we go out there like beasts and enjoy the moment and go for it.
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