Ahead of one of this season's biggest tests against Liverpool, Mikel Arteta spoke to the press about our opponents, our start to the season, and the positive transformation of the club over the past couple of years.
Here is everything he had to say:
on how much he's looking forward to the game...
Again, it's another really exciting game to play against one of the toughest opponents in this league. It's going to be a really demanding match and it's gonna require us to be at our best again,
on whether it's an opportunity to make a statement in the league...
Every game is the same. Obviously, it's a big match. It's a fixture that everybody's looking for, against an opponent that has shown in the last five or six years the level that they have. And we have to show those opponents again that we have reached the level and we are ready to compete against them.
on how the team's mentality has evolved since last year...
I'm very conscious that we can get much better than where we are today. And not only that: we have to do better to be a team that wants to win and the challenge now is to do that every three days.
on team news...
We will have more news tomorrow. We have another training session and we will know more tomorrow.
on feeling extra pressure to rotate during the tight schedule...
Well, we know that the fixtures that we've been given have no precedence in this league because of the World Cup and with everything that we have to play in between. And then every team is different, every squad is different. And if you start to risk, you make the situation much worse. If everybody's available and you have robot players that can play every three days, life is much easier! So it's something that we have to experience, and test because at the moment, we don't really know how it's going to play out.
on William Saliba's form this season...
I think the way he has established himself, the composure and leadership that he's shown on the pitch – it's done in a very natural way without any flashlights, just being himself. Being very quiet but at the same time, very confident.
on whether Saliba can hit the heights of Virgil van Dijk...
Wow, that's a big call. We're very happy with where he is at the moment. He's Saliba: he's no one else, and he needs to make his own career.
on Jurgen Klopp admitting that Liverpool are a work-in-progress...
Our team is as well. I think you always want to get better. You always hear about the weaknesses that you want to improve. Liverpool are a magnificent team.
on Liverpool's perceived dip in form...
I'm not here to judge what Liverpool are. I'm here to talk about what we do. I think what they've done in the last five years doesn't need any presentation – it's clear. They've been up there in every single competition for the last five years, so credit to them.
on whether playing for Everton means he still feels that Merseyside rivalry...
Well, obviously, those days – they were really intense. Now, I look at the games with a different perspective - you have to be much cooler, and you have to prepare many other aspects that are relevant to beat them on Sunday. So I do get a little bit aware of that.
on how to maintain this renewed connection with the fans...
Keep giving them more reasons to be even more present and more supportive of the team. But at the moment, we cannot ask anything of them. The atmosphere they're creating every time we play for them is fantastic. And we want to continue to have those moments together.
on how happy he is with the club's spirit...
I'm really happy. I'm proud, obviously of the change, the dynamics, the atmosphere and the belief around the club. But as we're looking ahead, again, to where we want to be and at the moment, we are not there yet.
on how he's helped to bring the whole club closer together...
I think one of the things in terms of how you measure success, as well as lifting trophies, is needing to understand where we were. And as you said, how fractured the club and environment was, how we looked at the time and how it looks right now – it's a credit to everybody that has been involved in the last few seasons to achieve that.
on what success at the club looks like...
If you win but you don't have that connection, is that really the meaning and the purpose of how you do things? For me, the answer is no. If you're able to win, we set an atmosphere and such a feeling of belonging and participation, I think it's much better.
on Arsene Wenger saying that we could win the league...
Well, it's great obviously that the people who love the club so much and know the club very well, have such an opinion about it. Now, unfortunately, we have to show it, but you have to do it on the pitch. And hopefully, he's right. He's been right on many occasions.
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