Friday, February 7, 2025

Every word from Arteta’s pre-City press conference

Perhaps wary of sparking any controversy, Mikel Arteta was in a cagey mood ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Manchester City.

Given the drama of September’s 2-2 draw at the Etihad – Leandro Trossard’s red card, a late City equaliser, a post-match bust-up, and tense exchanges between the managers – it was inevitable he’d face some probing questions. But Arteta did his best to keep the headlines to a minimum.

As for transfers, he continued to stress that Arsenal are actively looking to recruit but his answers won’t get any pulses racing.

Here’s what he had to say…

On David Raya’s fitness…

With David it’s still uncertain, we have another session tomorrow, another 48 hours so we have to wait and see.

On Ben White’s availability…

Ben is definitely out, he hasn’t trained with us yet so he’s not going to be available and no other news from the game against Girona.

On Raya’s issue…

It’s a muscular issue so we have to wait and see.

On transfers…

I’m very confident with the work that the club is doing and exploring every single opportunity that we believe can have an impact on the team. If that’s certainly the case and we can agree on something we will and if not we won’t.

On whether transfers are looking likely…

We are trying everything that we can but I don’t want to give any reassurance or not, I don’t know. It doesn’t depend only on us so our intention is clear but the possibilities are affected by three parties.

On Arsenal and City having niggle and whether the Gunners have unfinished business after the 2-2 at the Etihad…

The business is to try to be better than them to beat them, that’s it. The only thing I review is what happened in that match. How competitive it gets is normal when two big teams want to win the game, nothing else on that side.

On how he views the last game against City …

Very disappointed, with everything that we did for 98 or 99 minutes but it’s what it is.

On him and Pep exchanging words after the game…

No, only positive ones.

On saying “he knows things” about City…

Of course, I know because I was there for four years. I know how competitive they are, and how willing they are, and how they can sustain that competitiveness regardless. They win and win and win again. That’s what I meant.

On whether his relationship with Pep had been affected…

If so we wouldn’t be talking on the phone and talking to each other and messaging each other and willing [each other] to have the best. It wouldn’t happen.

On how he sums up the Arsenal – City rivalry…

Normal. Two teams trying to win.

On how decisive a result would be in this game…

It would be a big boost for us. Winning big matches is always something special. Every time we play a big match against our big rivals it brings something extra. It’s the confidence, it’s the emotion, it’s the fact that you are there and you continue to win. That’s what we want to achieve.

On how confident he is that Arsenal can win…

Yeah with 11 men and 60,000 [fans fighting] every ball right behind us, pushing and bringing the energy. That’s what we want.

On a bid for Ollie Watkins and whether he wants a striker…

You know I’m not going to talk about any individuals. As I said, we are actively looking, proactively, to find a solution in that position and we’ll see what the market brings.

On the importance of the referee this weekend…

Listen, he needs to do his job the best that he possibly can, like we have to do, each of us. There’s nothing else, nothing new, nothing special. We’re just going to focus on what we have to do from our side to be better than City and try to beat them.

On whether Sunday is a must-win game…

I mean every game we have to. We have to on paper, you have to. It’s that will.

On whether he’s surprised by City’s inconsistency this season…

I don’t know but that’s the beauty of football. It’s not that simple and it’s much more complicated than what you think in June or July or August.

On whether he wants an experienced player or someone young he can develop…

We don’t really look at the market in those terms. We look at what we have in the squad and what we are lacking and what can really impact and bring something that potentially can make us much better, regardless of the age or sometimes as well the background that they have. [There must be] a real belief that that player can be really good for us over time.

On whether buying a striker is a ‘must’…

It doesn’t [just] depend on us. We have the intention, the purpose and the ambition to try to help the team and support the squad to be better and to finish the season really, really strong. We are actively trying to do that.

On MLS and Nwaneri starting games together and what it says about their quality…

First of all, they earned the right for us to trust them. That’s certainly the case with those two because again in pre-season probably we wouldn’t have projected how many minutes those two were going to play in the league or in the Champions League. Probably we wouldn’t be talking about the numbers that they have already achieved. That’s credit to them and everybody that is contributing to that. If they continue to perform, they will continue to play.

On whether the result of Sunday’s game will affect transfer deadline day…

No, the result, no. I mean hopefully not, but obviously, if something happens that obviously is not planned and puts the squad in a much more dangerous position, it might do.
That [the result] no [won’t affect thinking] because that would mean that we haven’t planned anything and we’re just reacting to something last second which is not good.

On whether Pep thinks City are in the title race…

I think it’s very obvious that it’s yes, we don’t have to discuss that I think.

On Haaland’s comments at the end of the game…

I don’t take anything personally that happens on the pitch for me and since I’ve been a player it stays there and it’s full of emotions and things there and I just leave it aside and move on.

On how important Kai Havertz is to the squad…

Yes, very much, obviously he’s been our main striker now for a while and he’s producing some big numbers and his work ethic is unbelievable, not only that, but what we’re demanding to do in our model his availability has been exceptional. So he’s always there and we’re very happy to have him.

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Wengerball

This is a very important weekend in regards to our title chances. Liverpool are most likely going to beat Everton so this is a must win or else the gap will just be too much. COYG!

BillyKrystal

It’s more important, they’re at Bournemouth tomorrow, Everton in couple weeks. Please Iraola get a result against Arnie.

Magneto

First of all, Liverpool are playing Bournemouth this weekend away, and that won’t be easy for them, as Bournemouth will not just roll over and die.

Second, with Moyes back at Everton, we cannot assume that Liverpool will simply win their game in hand against them. They may well do, but it’s not as
straightforward as it may seem.

PeteyB

Agreed. The dreamer is hoping for a win over city and Bournemouth to do us a favour. Everton is middle of this week and derbys are weird. By next weekend the gap could be 3 points and same games played.

Of course the doomsday scenario would be a 12 point gap to Liverpool and City only 3 behind us.

Billy bob

I took would like to see it be a 3 point gap in a few games time, that’s the dreamer in me!! However, the realist in me says it’ll be between 9 and 12 points!! Only thing left then is CL and maintaining a top 4 finish!!!

Doghouse

Don’t forget St Totteridge day which is due soon..

Winterburns Right Wand

St Totteringham’s Day 😉

Dr. Gooner

If it’s not us then I’d rather see Liverpool win than our other rivals for two reasons: 1. I hate them the least, certainly much less than the Manchester clubs or Chlesea (yuck) 2. They are actually well run club with a few legitimately great players who have built a great squad on a reasonable budget (much like us) 3. Venturing into vague moralizing now, they probably deserve more titles than they had under Klopp because Pep + infinite resources + cheating is nigh insurmountable.

Qwaliteee

Merseyside Derby – you never know mate.

Those irritatingly not-all-that smug lucky cunts are well overdue a defeat. Who better than their nearest rivals – who need the points – to inflict it?

Nacho de Montreal is tasty

Very important weekend for getting a proper striker in, I would say.

Don Cazorleone

Aren’t they all

Chris

Just win it.

I miss santi cazorla

Jesus…

Positive pete

“ Be Humble”.Hope the cyborg & the arrogant Silva get an earful.

ScotchEggsRule

Can’t for Gabriel to score a header, naturally from a corner, and throw the ball at Haaland’s head. Let’s see if Sloth can stay humble then….

ScotchEggsRule

And whether the referee punishes him for it, as Haaland escaped sanction.

Billy bob

Haaland is a 🔔 end

The Bob

Probably insta red card if it’s arsenal

Goonshow

Yeah – note how the McAllister miraculously escaped a second yellow for hacking the Bournemouth lad in the nads yesterday!

Aleksander Włodarz

Wise and balanced words from a top man in the ⚽ business.

Deep

So true and so so important. It’s a really great quality that a manager must have. Winning is a priority, but at no cost do I want to see it happen to us the way the Mourinhos, Contes and Ten Hags made a joke of their respective clubs at press conferences multiple times.

Goonshow

You have to wonder, though, why he let Mika Biereth go, after selling Flo ‘n Eddie? The lad has been scoring for fun since leaving us and just smacked a hatter for Monaco.

Billy bob

As for haaland and his stay humble, well it’d be nice if he and that 💩 club he plays for were

Yankee Gooner

Just had a mild infarction while misconstruing “on MLS and Nwaneri”

Dr. Gooner

I recommend the Dwight Eisenhower treatment: fresh mountain air, Mozart, and judicious use of fine cognac.

Qwaliteee

Off topic, but old Dracula is beginning to piss me off with his now constant irritating “He’s Not For Sale” mantra.

We should make every effort now to sign Watkins, if only to shut ‘Good Ebening’ up.

Dr. Gooner

They can’t really sell both their strikers in January … can they? If I was a Villa fan that would not go over well.

se tedit icon to pin, add or delete clips.

Am wondering how Duran was available for the Saudis and we are not aware. He is young and has shown great abilities so far. I mean if he could be off to Saudi for 75 million I am sure a similar offer of 60 from us as we made for Watkins would have turned his hand in our direction as am sure at his age he would prefer playing gin Europe.

Qwaliteee

Signing someone named Duran would not go down well with Gary and Martin Kemp, John Keeble and Tony Hadley.

Steve Norman probably wouldn’t mind though – the only member of Spandau Ballet who isn’t a Gooner. (He’s a dirty Spud)

Ebo

Yeah, not gonna happen, so making every effort there would just be a lot of wasted effort that we wouldn’t be making to sign a striker who might actually available.

Never mind our limited resources people sometimes aren’t willing to accept, seems also like many think there’s an infinite amount of manpower in the club’s technical and acquisition departments, maybe an omnipresent intelligence who can scout and negotiate with all available talented players simultaneously.

Ebo

Would be funny if the Matrix-style rise of the machines doomsday scenario eventually comes from a sophisticated AI upgrade of Football Manager GPT which Pep hired programmers to write so it can put together the best football team possible. “well Pep, for that I will unfortunately need to enslave the entire human race in a simulation so that I can be sure I find the best players and train them optimally, are you sure that won’t weigh too heavy on your conscience? ”
Pep: “what’s a conscience?”

Dr. Gooner

I feel like it’s a case of they don’t really like the players who are actually available, but know they need someone, so there is an effort but it’s haphazard. We don’t really know who we want. The other side of it is that clubs know we need to buy and they’re not going to say, sure thing; here’s our player for fair market value! They’re going to be bastards about it because they have the upper hand, then Arsenal are forced to either overpay and set a bad precedent for future negotiations, or walk away with nothing. The club… Read more »

Ebo

Yes to everything except I’m not even sure about the last part. I do think we’re willing to shell up the insane sum Villa were asking for Watkins, but that as you say, Villa are never going to let him go even for that amount at this point because it would kamikaze their season – unless they find a replacement immediately that is, but if that player were available we’d have bought him instead of Watkins.

Goonshow

And yet we let Mika Biereth go – who is scoring for fun all over Europe atm… got a hat-trick for Monaco just yesterday!

Freddo

If Aston Villa is in a financially tight place (as stories suggest) they have no choice where Watkins is concerned. They can’t afford to let a valuable 29 year old just run down his contract. They have brought in Malen and there are stories about them looking around for another cheaper striker (e.g. Rashford). Emery isn’t exactly screaming ‘hands off’ either. I expect that Arsenal WILL get Watkins.

Dr. Gooner

I think a heavily incentive driven deal based on appearances, goals and team honors would be the way to get this done. That would protect Arsenal if Watkins falls off a cliff physically by this time next year (unlikely) but also guarantee Villa higher end of market value if Watkins shines for us. I’d still be surprised if they did this deal with us. He’s been their best player for years now. I would very much like to add Watkins now but I also would be prepared to walk away if they are not going to be reasonable about the… Read more »

Goonshow

Did you see that our lad, Mika B, is smashing ’em in for fun in Europe (and has been ever since he left us)?
Just hit a hat-trick for Monaco… dunno why Arteta let him leave, especially after we’d sold Flo and we putting Eddie on the market.

Rufusstan

That’s the third variation of that comment you’ve made. All I can say is 1). Its in the French (and Austrian) League. 2). That hat trick represents 3/4 of the goals he’s scored for Monaco. 3). Monaco and PSG are 1st and 3rd in the French league. We’ve played both in the last few months winning both with an aggregate 5-0 score line. In the end we sold a decent player who was not up to Arsenal’s standards, and its not surprising he’s doing OK at a (much) lower standard. Its not like he’s ‘one who got away’ like Gnabry,… Read more »

Naked Cygan

I doubt we will sign anyone. Watkins and Sesko are tricky deals. Andy Caroll is our best bet.

Dr. Gooner

I agree with Arteta that our best chance to win is with 11 outfield players

Sephirothevic

No GK? I think the prognosis would be rather poor…

Limpar2

I would rather have no one that pay the £80 million plus quoted for Ollie Watkins. Absolutely ridiculous for a player who is 29 years old.

Dr. Gooner

80? Who said 80?

Gunner0304

It’s 60m. If we improve on the add ons, we get him

DinoFinn

Hopefully Raya recovers, get the oxygen tent out!

TeeCee

Hell yes.
Neto and Haaland. The words “deer” and “headlights” spring to mind.

Sephirothevic

Morning, Blogmeister. In the reply to “how he views the last game”, would you kindly consider adding a comma after “disappointed”? It currently reads like the gaffer didn’t rate our performance for the first ~100 minutes. 😇

Billy bob

We should sign Mathys Tels if possible, he can play anywhere across the front line so more versatile than Watkins (who I don’t think will be allowed to join us anyway) and he has a higher ceiling being younger – he looks pretty darn good already 👍

JazzyJeff

Just bid 150 million for Isak and be done with it FFS.

Gunner0304

He’s not worth that. I’d rather we spend 70 for Watkins and have the rest spent on a winger next summer.

Goonshow

I’d rather we’d just held onto Mika Biereth – who’s been scoring non-stop ever since we let him leave, including a hat-trick for Monaco yesterday!

Goonshow

We continue to flounder around chasing strikers, whilst the big lad who never put a foot wrong for our juniors is now smashing ’em in all over Europe.
Have a look a Mika Biereth’s record over the past 2 seasons with Sturm and now Monaco – and he just scored a hat-trick!

We should never have let him go – especially with selling Flo and then Eddie! I just wonder why Mikel never felt he was good enough… the lad’s a diamond.

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