Having seen his side beat Manchester United 2-1 in the second game of our US Tour, Mikel Arteta headed to the press room in SoFi Stadium to chat to the media about the game.
He was asked about his goalscoring Gabi's, Jurrien Timber's progression, tactics, the performance of our youngsters and much more.
Here is everything he had to say:
on the game:
It was a really good test for us. Playing in a different stadium, different pitch conditions, four metres narrower and five metres shorter against a top opponent and we’re 1-0 down. To play in this kind of context is really, really good for us to see the level and the capacity we have to adapt and win in any context, so I'm really pleased.
on Ethan Nwaneri’s display:
It’s always in the hands of the players, so show what you can do. Show that ambition, that determination, that quality and things will happen naturally. Tomorrow he’s going to train with us again and if he continues to play like that he’s going to play some minutes on Wednesday for sure.
on Gabriel Martinelli hitting the ground running:
That’s the mentality of the team and individuals - one training session and he comes in and plays at that level. That means that he’s not coming here to get prepared, he’s come prepared to show where he is and that’s a very different approach and I loved it.
on Gabriel Jesus’ form:
He looks really good, he looks really sharp. He’s changed a lot of things over the summer and he’s come back in top condition again. When you have that baseline, other things can be built but without that foundation we don’t have a player and he needs to be in that condition to get the best out of him. He’s realised that and I’m really happy with what he’s shown today again. You can see by the way he looks, the way he’s moving and you can see in his eyes that there’s a spark there.
on the growth of football in USA:
It’s evolving and growing in the right direction because the teams in MLS are becoming more competitive, more attractive. They’re able to hold big competitions as well which is attracting a lot of attention towards the country. They have unbelievable foundations to in a few years become one of the leaders in soccer.
on Ayden Heaven’s reaction after Man Utd's goal:
Very impressive. At 17, I don’t know how many players are able to do that on a stage like this. He’s lost a duel against one of the strongest and fastest players in the world, it can happen, but the reaction afterwards, the composure, the quality, the body language that he had were all remarkable. I’m really happy with him.
on Jurrien Timber’s progress:
Now he’s getting the rhythm because obviously he’s missed a lot of football in the last year or so. We’ve asked him to play in a different position than we had in mind due to the numbers and the players we have at the moment, but I’m really happy. Just look at him, his pressing, his leadership, his composure. He’s like a new signing for us and a big addition to the team.
on the message to the players in the changing room:
It’s a test. There are not three points but there are a lot of things on the table and you could see that. I think both teams were the same. Man United competed at the highest level as well and that’s what you want, you want to get well-prepared for the matches we have in the league and in the Champions League. You need to have a good understanding of where your team is as quickly as possible.
on the thinking behind Timber and White’s positions:
Making one change and not two. It’s simple, and as well there is so much chemistry in that right unit. That relationship has been there for a long time and I believe at the moment that it’s better just to touch one thing.
on whether the players are ready for the start of the season:
There are obviously different layers and different things that we have to improve and get better at, but I think we have good foundations at the moment. The spirit is good, the way the boys are working and applying themselves, that will that they have to compete and win is there, and I’ve tried to maximise the last two weeks to give them the best possible foundation.
on Kai Havertz's role:
Today we played him there because obviously we’re really short of numbers in midfield at the moment and we have to maintain a competitive team, so we decided to play him there.
on the supporters at SoFi Stadium:
Thank you so much again for coming to watch us. Hopefully they had a good time and we provided good entertainment for them. It’s an unbelievable stadium, very different to what we’re used to. A lot of lights, a lot of noise, a lot of music and voices. It’s something different but very enjoyable, so thank you so much.
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