14 members of Arsenal’s first team squad are currently away on international duty and a few of them have been speaking to the media.
While most of the questions relate to their responsibilities with their countries, there’s genuine intrigue about life at Arsenal and what it’s like working with Mikel Arteta.
Here’s what Messrs Odegaard, Zinchenko, Trossard and Turner have been saying…
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Martin Odegaard
Speaking to TV2 about his manager’s attention to detail…
It has surprised me, actually. How detail-oriented he and the whole team are. I’ve never encountered anything like it, with people who see football that way and who see details as specifically as he does. It can be simple little things or more big things. It’s extremely detailed and a lot of little things we talk about, watching video after every game and all that. It’s fun working with him and the team. It works
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Oleksandr Zinchenko
Speaking to the Mail about his relationship with the boss…
I remember when Mikel was leaving City (in 2019). I didn’t hold my emotions. I couldn’t because this guy was so special to me. He taught me a lot. As a human being he was incredible and the way he was working with us young players after every single training session, the advice he was giving everyone, was something incredibly important for me.’
On what makes Arteta special…
The way he sees football – his vision, his character, his mentality. He’s a winner and everyone likes to win…as simple as that. I said to my circle: ‘If one day I’m going to leave City and I’m going to stay in the Premier League, it will be only one manager: Mikel Arteta.’ That’s what I said to him when he called me for the first time in that transfer window.
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Leandro Trossard
Speaking to Reuters about his first months at Emirates Stadium…
I maybe didn’t expect to play that many minutes, but injuries helped me a bit,” Trossard said. I’m however more than convinced of my own capabilities. I arrived in a great group, filled with great players. It was a very busy and weird period for me, but I’m very happy that I have been able to join Arsenal. I think it’s been a great step for me.
On Arsenal’s title chances…
We all know how difficult it is to win the league, looking at Man City and Liverpool in recent years, but I think we have a great squad and that we have proven time and time again that we’re doing well. There are 10 matches left, we’ll see where we end once the season finishes.
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Matt Turner
Speaking to Goal.com about the danger of the Interlull halting Arsenal’s momentum…
No one’s looking at this international break as an escape or as a little bit of time away. I think the message from our manager and the message amongst the players is very clear: you’re going away to keep fit, to keep playing at the highest level, obviously stay healthy, treat your body right and come back firing on all cylinders because we’re definitely not the only club that’s on pause right now. We need to come back with the right mentality and ready to continue to win games and I think that we have such a good nucleus at the club, that that won’t be an issue.
Love them all.
Stay fit and come back firing!
So Odegaard has to play twice for Norway while Haaland gets a week off in Marbella.
The headline is he visited a Barcelona hospital for treatment on a groin injury.
City play Liverpool next week.
Convenient for him to get “injured”
Haaland was lethal just before the internationals, hopefully this holiday will break his run (especially if he gets totally wasted in Marbella).
He’ll probably pick the groin injury at the Liverpool game after they’ve lost to Liverpool 😁
We missed Jesus for 3 months, so it’s only fair that the injury God’s give Haaland some time off.
Soft mentality. That’s why this $ity team isn’t unbeatable. Whereas these gooners just want it. They want to be a part of this team, this unit. Don’t kid yourselves. This isn’t normal in modern football and when it happens these teams win because they want it more!
I think it’s a bit foolish to describe City as having a “soft mentality” at the same time as we praise the transformation that the attitude of Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko have made. I hate the ownership of City and their sportswashing agenda. I try not to let that confuse me about what I see on the pitch–a supurb (though not unbeatable) team with extraordinary depth, an absolute determination to win, and a manager who accepts nothing less. If we had more depth, that would describe Arsenal pretty well too.
Liverpool will do them
That match could go either way. A draw would be a good result for Arsenal, assuming we then go on to beat Leeds the same day.
Interestingly, the thumbs for this comment were 7-0 when I read it. Premonition?
I think my 3-2 is more likely!
Yeah I have said all along there is nothing wrong with Harland pep has made him say he has a groin injury. Well say he feels a pain in his groin but watch this space Harland will be fit for the 1st game and all the rest of the remaining games its pep trying to cheat again.
It’s not really cheating though, is it?
Representing one’s country is a privilege not an obligation… it’s between Haaland and the Norwegian Football Federation, and their head coach
I normally hate interlulls but this one is actually quite useful for the club. We can take stock now and get ready for the final big push, starting next weekend. The next round of games could be decisive. If, next Saturday, Liverpool go to the Etihad and win, and we then beat Leeds at home then we’ll go 11 points clear with only 9 games left (10 for City). A gap surely too big for even the Arab oil giants to close. With the title gone, Pep might decide to forget about the Premier League and focus on the trophy… Read more »
The gap is not large enough until mathematically the gap is not large enough. We saw these young players ( hopefully ) learn that lesson last year. Until we reach the day where we can lose every remaining game and ManAuthoritarianCity can win every remaining game…and it doesn’t matter because we win the championship no matter what. That is CDay! COYG
There are many important pieces of the puzzle here at Arsenal right now, but Arteta is the key to everything.
It’s only a matter of time before Barcelona or PSG come enquiring. We saw it a few times over the years with Wenger being approached by Real Madrid, PSG, England and France. And in this day and age, the turnover of managers in football is much more frequent.
Fortunately – yet another parallel between Mikel and Arsene – is that Mikel really does love Arsenal Football Club, and I think he’ll be here for a very long time.
As long as Xavi is doing reasonably well, the Barca job is his. And with the financial issues and the ref payment scandal, it’s a less attractive place than 5-10 years ago. So short to medium term, can’t see that tempting Arteta. And because of his Barca DNA, probably not RM either.
It’s hard to imagine even a scandal-free and rich Barca firing a club legend who is running away with the league.
I had to laugh at the Swedes playing their regular safe boring football and getting spanked for it yesterday. There’s enough quality in that team to have a go at it but that’s not the Swedish way. It’s time for them to bring in a manager from another country and start playing some fucking football.
Congrats to our boy Trossard on the win. Come back fit and ready for Leeds when all this interlull nonsense is done!
IKEA believe they lost 3-0 at home. What was that all ABBAout?
If they carry on like this it’ll be The Final Countdown for their hopes of qualifying for Europe. Shall I get our coats?
Mamma Mia!
Thank you for the amusement.
Well you know the winner takes it all.
Looks like, under this manager, their progression has just hit a VOLvo.
Please include my coat too.