Arteta: Our ambition is not going to change

Maybe the week in the Dubai sunshine helped, but anyone expecting Mikel Arteta to be downbeat after losing Kai Havertz to a season-ending hamstring injury would have been surprised by his positive demeanour in yesterday’s pre-Leicester press conference.

Having learned to roll with the punches this season, Arteta set the tone – not just for his players but for supporters as well. His message was clear: we adapt, move on, and go again. Liverpool dropping two points in Wednesday’s Merseyside derby certainly lifted his mood. A 98th-minute equaliser from former club Everton means Arsenal now have a seven-point gap to close on the Reds with 14 games to go.

It’s a huge challenge, especially with his first-choice attack sidelined for at least a month, but Arteta seems genuinely energised by the opportunity to find new solutions from those still standing. 

While he played down William Saliba’s “funny” and immediate offer to play as an auxiliary striker, the manager said on more than one occasion that he’s analysing all the options. 

“I think it’s part of the sport, part of the challenge, and it’s part of the beauty of when somebody is having a difficulty or somebody is facing something that is not ideal, it’s how we react to that,” he said.

“Testing the spirit and the quality of a group of players, or a team in this case, we need to love that, you know? We need to be, obviously, very, very analytical on the things that we can do better as well, to try to avoid that [happening again]. But after, we have to react in a manner to show that will as well, that regardless of what happens, our will to win and our ambition is not going to change.”

Asked if his players share his determination to keep believing after coming to terms with the Havertz news, he said: “And the order is exactly, “Oh, no” is the reaction because it’s a reaction and you feel for the person and the player, then the impact that they are having in the team as well. But then you have to say, OK, what else can I do to make this work again?”

It seems almost laughable that Arsenal will avoid further setbacks from this point given they face seven matches in the next month with a squad down to the barebones. Clearly the manager is not thinking too far ahead at the moment. 

“We go day by day because I don’t know what the next challenge is going to be or the next opportunity is going to be. We have won a lot of games playing with Leo [Trossard] as a nine, and when you look at all the players [left] they play together. Again, we will find the right solutions.”

The foundations of Arteta’s Arsenal project were founded on being practical. When he took over as head coach in December 2019 he immediately realised that the resources at his disposal would necessitate compromises. He pushed core principles of play while utilising formations that best catered to the ability of his players. Winning the FA Cup at the end of his first season – beating Manchester City and Chelsea along the way – underlined that anything can happen when the players believe in what they are doing. 

Reflecting on those early months in charge Arteta said: “For me it’s much more related to the intentions and behaviours of the team than formations, in my opinion. 

“For me, a formation doesn’t mean anything if you don’t tell me what intent that team had. For example, we were talking before about the high-pressure situation. You can play 5-4-1 and be the most aggressive team in Europe, if you want, and play man-to-man every ball. 

“Or you can just sit back 20 metres, be very compact, don’t jump on anything and counterattack. So it’s the behaviours [that matter]. Certain behaviours and intentions of this team are not going to change. Some others, we’re going to adapt to the qualities of our players.”