Read some extra quotes from Arsène Wenger's pre-match press conference. For more headlines, visit our Digest page.
on who will play in goal against Man City…
I have not decided yet. Ospina has done well.
on Szczesny…
I rate Szczesny highly but I don’t think any individual will be our problem on Sunday - it will be our team commitment. No matter who plays, it’s important that the team performs and that the guy who plays, plays well.
on Krystian Bielik having a medical…
Yes.
on whether he will become an Arsenal player…
Yes.
on whether a fee has been agreed…
Yes.
on bringing other players in…
We are out in the market and we are working very hard every day. All our scouts and our people are working very hard to find a defender.
on Ilkay Gundogan…
He’s not a defender. At the moment we are more looking for the defensive department.
on the Ballon d’Or…
I would not vote for any Ballon d’Or. I’m totally against it. I’m a team lover and a specialist of somebody who loves team work. I’m completely against that. I would not vote for anybody.
on David Ginola running for Fifa president…
You will accuse us of having control of world football if he becomes Fifa president and Platini is Uefa president! That has very little chance of happening, let’s be realistic.
on Hodgson scrapping an England get-together…
Yes, he spoke to me about it. First of all it was at St George’s Park, which is not the best location for a get-together. After that it was 48 hours before a Premier League game and managers do no want their players to travel two days before a game maybe. It is good to have a get-together for Roy Hodgson, but maybe the date was not the best. I said to him, ‘Look I want to see whether we play on Saturday or Sunday, and how long it will last’. He told me it will be six to nine, which is quite acceptable. But he cancelled it because some people did not want their players to go.
on Monreal’s performances…
Yes, he is one of the most consistent players. I must say that when he played centre back he got stronger and stronger game after game and did very well. Even in our last game against Stoke he did very well.
on Mathieu Debuchy...
He is destroyed because he is such a keen player, so professional, so willing. It is his first year here and of course he is embarrassed. But it is not his fault. He was pushed. The push was not needed. I watched it again and in that situation he was a bit unlucky as well because there is a little divot just after the touchline and maybe that made it worse. I just think that Arnautovic had no chance to get the ball. I don’t think it was malicious but it was not needed because he had no chance to get the ball. I am not a specialist and these subjects are always very sensitive because I don’t really know what his intention was. It is difficult. It is not obvious. I don’t think he wanted to hurt him but it was not needed.
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