Mikel Arteta was a happy man after we reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a penalty shoot-out win against Liverpool.
Afterwards, he faced the press and discussed the game, Bernd Leno, facing Man City in the next round and more.
This is what he said:
on how much we practice penalties...
We do practice but then at the end of the day it's down to the players and how calm they are, and whether they make the right decision on the day. Obviously the keepers get involved with that as well.
on Bernd Leno...
We had two fantastic goalkeepers and they were both performing really well. Bernd, before he had the injury, and then Emi when he came in. But we had to make a decision and I think it was a moment when Emi needed the next step and financially it was a really interesting proposal for us. We need to manage the resources that we have to strengthen the team. I am really happy for Bernd and for his performance, the character that he's shown tonight. It was really helpful to get us through to the next round.
on whether Bernd has more pressure on him this season...
I think the biggest pressure is coming from the players individually. I don't think they read that much about what other people are saying. He's very stable, he works, he has his routines and I don't think he's very bothered about what's going on outside.
on the formation Arsenal were playing...
We can vary regarding to what the opponent does and with some of the players who can interchange between positions, we can make it difficult. I will try to continue in our development to try to manage different structures during the game.
on Ainsley Maitland-Niles' penalties...
I told him in the dressing room that I'm going to have a heart attack because with his body language... Jesus Christ! He puts it in the net which is the reason why he was one of the subs.
on whether the plan is for Bernd to play every game...
When Emi left, we were looking for a second goalkeeper. We were in the market and it took a little bit longer than expected to get that position filled in, so Alex came in and has only been with us a week and had a small issue as well. Again, in time things will evolve and Alex will be more comfortable here and they will both play.
on Manchester City next...
I was enjoying the victory a little bit in the dressing room and I got the news. It's another massive challenge for us and we're not getting very lucky with the draws at the moment, but we'll prepare for the game and of course try to win.
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