In his pre-Girona press conference, Mikel Arteta reacted to the news that Arsenal had successfully appealed against Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card against Wolves.
The manager also touched on how the full-back’s availability could affect his selection plans for upcoming matches, as well as answering questions about the abuse levelled at referee Michael Oliver and his thoughts on tomorrow’s opponents.
On his reaction to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card being rescinded…
Yeah, obviously very happy that that decision has been made and Myles is going to be able to play for us again in the next few games.
On the abuse levelled at Michael Oliver and what he thinks about it…
The same. Every time I talked about that topic, regardless of whether it’s a player, it’s a coach, it’s a referee, it doesn’t matter. We have to really work harder to try to eradicate that part of the game that brings nothing but bad stuff, bad taste and it makes people’s lives more difficult. So let’s get it out. Let’s kick it out.
On whether that’s his message to upset Arsenal fans…
Yeah, for everybody in football. I think it should not be permitted we don’t want it, we don’t need it and it certainly damages our sport. So let’s get it out.
On whether he’ll go with a strong team or rotate heavily with one eye on City at the weekend…
We’re here to win the game. In order to do that, we’re going to have to be better than them. They’re on a really good side. If you look at every game that they played in the Champions League against top opposition, they have made life very, very difficult for them. So tomorrow we play a very strong team and in order to achieve what we want to do, which is mathematically qualifying in the best position, which at the moment is uncertain.
On whether Arsenal could recruit in midfield if they can’t find a striker during this window…
Well, there are situations open and I always say the same, that if we can improve the squad with players that can impact us for now, for the future, we will try to do that if it’s the best thing for the club. I stand by that.
On whether his team selection plans are affected by Myles now being available in the league…
Well, it does affect [things], yes, because obviously we had a lot of uncertainty. Not only for Sunday or for tomorrow, but for the next few games as well. So now we have more options. He’s going to be available and it’s something very positive for the team.
On Mikel Merino adapting to England and his injury issues…
He’s been quite unfortunate, to be honest, but Mikel’s character is unbelievable. He’s so determined to have some rhythm now, some momentum. He had very good moments, especially in the last few weeks with us. And unfortunately, he had a little niggle, it wasn’t anything serious, but we’re playing every two and a half days. So you miss two matches. He’s fit again, he’s available and it’s great to have him in the team.
On how Myles has coped with the last few days…
He was sleeping on the plane when I look bad and I got the news. So I haven’t spoken to him, but I imagine he has a big smile on his face.
On whether he woke up Myles to tell him the news…
No, I was working and he was in the back row, so I didn’t.
On how football eradicates its abuse issues, particularly on social media…
First of all, spending more time making the right decisions with the right people to get it out. And then putting in, like the same we have put in laws and measurements and regulation and that kind of thing. They do that, why haven’t we done it? We are all talking about it, but no one seems to be moving strongly enough and bringing people with him to get that out of the game because it’s just unacceptable.
On whether the quick result of Lewis-Skelly’s appeal means anything…
I don’t know. Obviously, I’m not an expert in the field. Obviously, the club has put all the evidence and everything they could put together to defend our position. And it was pretty fast. So good to know today, basically, that’s helpful. So thank you.
On Arsenal’s away form in the Champions League this season being an improvement on last year…
Well, we’re more consistent and I think we’ve been better, as you said. Understanding that it’s extremely difficult to win and overplay opposition in the Champions League. And tomorrow we’re going to face a very good opposition and we’re going to have to be very good to beat them.
On whether he’s looking at the away rather than home performances as more of a marker of his side’s improvement in the competition…
Yeah, both. And every game, every scenario, every context is going to be different. And it’s coming here, when we need something from the game, that we’re here to win. And from the first minute, we have that attitude and that determination to go for the game and hopefully deliver what we want.
On how Kai Havertz is coping with a heavy workload in recent weeks…
Yeah, we have a lot of players with a lot of load. He’s not an exception, obviously, but his work, his desire, the way he trained today, it’s just telling you that he wants to play again tomorrow. And some players, when they are in the rhythm, they want to continue to do that because they feel better like this. So that’s it.
On how Arsenal might make use of their spare time if they avoid the knockout play-off double-header and whether it includes giving the players a break and working on next tactics…
We’ve got already a few ideas. We still have to earn the right to do what we ideally want. And yes, we will certainly use it for the two right reasons that you already mentioned.
On Girona being part of City Group and what he makes of the multi-club model and whether such links distort the transfer market…
I can respond to any question related to a coach or performance or the opposition, but about those topics, I prefer not to talk about it.
On people in Spain saying this should be Arsenal’s year to dream…
Well, dreaming, excitement, effort. We are going to put everything. We’ve been very close to big titles in the last few years. So it’s a time to take a step forward. But it’s very difficult in football. But we are very consistent as a team when it comes to performance and to play. And tomorrow, we must earn our qualification. Then we’ll see what comes next.
On what sort of Girona he’s expecting tomorrow given they are already out of the Champions League…
I watched all their games in the group stage. I love the team. I love the coach. And I learned from them. And secondly, I need to know them very well. I think this was a team that was tremendously competitive against the big names. And just due to small details, they didn’t earn the results they deserved. And secondly, this is the last game. And this is a huge achievement to be here. I’m sure they want to end on a good note tomorrow.
On people feeling like they are entitled to throw abuse around when watching football…
We focus on the evolution of football and where football is heading in the next five years, for example, and rules and regulations. I think one of the biggest evolutions we can have in football is to create a social environment that is much better, that is healthier, more beautiful, where you reward other stuff other than winning, that you can rectify when you make mistakes, and that we don’t need to keep this hatred as this affects everyone. And it removes the beauty of the sport, and that is having fun and having fun together.
On whether he remembers his first game against Girona in 1999, a friendly match and what he thinks of the club…
Well, I didn’t remember that. Thank you. Thank you for reminding me of this. I think this is a beautiful story. I think what they’ve done in such a short time is beautiful, especially in the way they’ve done it. And when they transmit, they made many people fall in love with football, many clubs, with a certain playing style, and showing that you can do big things with a vision. So congratulations to them.
On whether Girona could be more dangerous with no pressure on them…
Yes, it could be. This could be a factor. It’s the last match, and everyone will remember this. And they want to finish very well, like we do.
On what he thinks of Girona…
What I said before, they deserve all the credit. Also, they play in a way that many people want to follow them, not just for the results, but for the football style. And they were lucky enough to enjoy this team and this competition, as they earned it.
The best way to avoid any abuse for referees and VAR is not to make ridiculous decisions that then get backed by dodgy VAR.
And not to send our players off much more than other teams.
Easy…
whatever shitty, corrupt and/or incompetent decision Oliver on any other referee makes on a football pitch, however bent or bad he is at his job, there’s absolutely zero justification for sending him and his family death threats… like, seriously? That’s just complete insanity.
This sort of behaviour comes from people who live on the internet rather than the real world.
Yes the decision was dreadful and embarrassing and could have ruined a lot of people’s Sunday and week at work. Death threats is just mental
People need to get out more! If you spend all day scrolling how much of a bad decision it is and conspiracy theories about everyone involved then it becomes all consuming
Any way glad the appeal was successful let’s move on.
(And sign a striker)
to who downvoted this: would you like or have you ever been on the receiving end?
You know what you are right that sort of behavior isn’t welcome or shouldn’t be tolerated. But the gentleman you responding to is onto something too. I remember Arsene narrating how during the world cup in SouthAfrica he ran into an Arsenal fun that had to lost his brother to suicide over some bad Arsenal result. That’s how much people have taken the game. Was he righ,t who iam I to make that call but let me say something myself. I find myself little by little beginning to not give a fuck about my beloved Arsenal. I mean just last… Read more »
The best way to avoid it is not do it. Simple. Be angry all you want and feel about a crap decision. Posting abusive, keyboard threats at a referee doesn’t help in any way.
The decision and the process is a joke. Unfit for purpose and borderline corrupt. That will create emotion and reaction. 99.99% of people will keep within acceptable bounds of outrage. The tiny tiny minority will not. That was always the case. Back in the day fans threw things or spat or called the ref an C..t. But very few. This is just a different distribution channel. Social media and access to a voice changes this and that’s that. The Fact that the PgMOL can call On the media to try to change the narrative to focus on the 0.001% and… Read more »
This isn’t an either/or scenario though, and whatever tiny tiny minority it is shouldn’t be excused and forgiven just because they’re a minority. Those are the same type of people sending abuse to Kai Havertz and his wife when he misses in front of goal. That stuff, exactly like Arteta said, should be stamped out of our game. Saying death threats are acceptable because of bad refereeing decisions is completely absurd, we’re talking about a game here! I find it insane we’re even arguing about it, and that people here are downvoting these comments basically saying they think that’s in… Read more »
Who said in these posts death threats are acceptable. Genuine question
I didn’t, they are totally unacceptable. If a referee doesn’t make bad decisions regularly against a particular club then bad feelings towards them would never be an issue in the first place.
It was implied by saying “how dare they focus on the tint minority who does that sort of thing instead of the bad refereeing decisions”.
Ah I see. Very misleading though my friend as he didn’t say death threats were acceptable.
No he didn’t, which is why it was implied rather than explicit, and it doesn’t matter how much you downvote me on that, it would still be implied from it. These are two different issues, and both of them should be addressed and corrected irrespective of each other, and while doing so it should be kept in mind that one of them is about a bloody GAME whereas the other is human lives. Any failure to understand that is part of the problem Mikel is talking about.
You are doubling down my friend. You are well liked on here and respected. Don’t join the PGMOL
That’s not the point he was trying to make. I’m guessing her, but its seemed clear that the point was that the media was trying to make the tiny proportion of idiots (that we can easily all condemn) were representative of the entire fanbase
Hope we rest Kai at least, play some second choice players with a strong bench in case they are needed.
Batting away stupid questions from “journalists” trying to trip you up to get a headline must be one of the toughest parts of the job for any coach/manager, Imagine how exhausting and boring it must be.
Find it pretty irritating that all the questions were again about the reaction rather than about the repeated bullshit refereeing decisions Arsenal have received this season. That is the headline, not ‘man receives threats’. As Arteta said himself, that isn’t just for refs. That is everyone in the industry.
What is unique to refs is their total lack of accountability and inability to admit and learn from mistakes.
I’m I the only one who doesn’t give a rats arse about this game?
This new format of the the CL is bloated and really tiresome. We should be in the exciting knockout stages by now instead of playing loads of dead rubbers.
Wake me up when the draw is made for the knockouts.
This one’s still important as Girona will have no pressure and we’ll need to take it seriously – plus, finishing 3rd or 4th gives us a theoretically easier route (incoming last 16 game Vs real Madrid…), whereas finishing 7th/8th would mean Liverpool or Barcelona in the quarter finals.
Not true.
A few strong teams are lower down on the table. We could finish high and still get a Real Madrid.
There is some truth to that Fats. But the table is so compressed that decent wins from those big teams tonight could propel them quite far up the league. Pretty much every team down to Celtic could jump into the top 8 if they get a big win tonight. And while it would take a pretty mad set of results (mostly Villa would need to absolutely spank Celtic & Atalanta beat Barca), we could lose and fall out of the top 8. That really would be a disaster. We know the boss will take nothing lightly, and we all know… Read more »
Yep you are
💯- this new format sucks. So boring.
Air Myles
They really need to ditch this “clear and obvious” bollocks.
As things stand, if the VAR intervenes he is, in effect, calling his on-pitch colleague an incompetent twat (as in so crap that they missed something that’s “clear and obvious” to anyone else). It’s no wonder they don’t like to do it.
Of course, in this case the on pitch ref actually was an incompetent twat, but that’s beside the point.
The system is clear and obvious bollocks.
Girona are just oil city puppets so I find some of his comments, although quite PC, somewhat nauseous!!
We’ve had a good campaign in this competition so far, we have also learnt a lot from last season to, expecting a strong squad tomorrow but i wouldn’t be surprised to see Sterling in our line-up, maybe a good performance and a goal or two might spark something in a player who looks like a spent force in every PL game he’s played for us. The one thing we’ve not mentioned in our CL games is the referee and VAR, No reds and seldom yellow cards for either sides in our games says a lot, we’ve become a lot more… Read more »
But what do you think of Girona, Mikel?
Arteta’s sleepy demeanor during the press interview bodes well.
He was obviously finalising the new player(s) deal(s).
I expect Girona to come out fighting for two reasons. One, they will want to go out with a bang and two, they’re tiny 115ers and will probably have internalized some of the rivalry.
That could play to our hands as in their haste to score they might just let us play our game. Doubt there are many teams that could match us when playing free flowing football.
It’s been found out that the death threat for Oliver was weeks ago after the Liverpool game. The PGMOL made their statement in connection with Arsenal and left the inference that our fans were responsible.
Is it now clear that PGMOL have an agenda against Arsenal. Even those of us not favouring conspiracy theories have to wonder with this behaviour and the mass of red cards issued to us this season.