Following our FA Cup loss against Liverpool, Mikel Arteta headed to the Emirates Stadium press room to tackle questions from the media.
He was asked about the game, transfers, injuries and our recent form, as well as many other topics.
Here is everything he had to say:
on why we couldn’t score today:
Because the ball didn’t go in the net. We didn’t take the chances, I haven’t seen any other team in the first six months that have generated what we have done against them in the last two games and we’re not capitalising - not today, in the last few games - that’s why we are not winning games. Performance-wise, merit-wise, there is no question, but to win the game actually the results say something very different. When my team plays with that attitude, with that courage, with that desire and do what they’ve done to probably the best team in Europe at the moment in terms of momentum, what can I do? Stay behind them and support them.
on calls from the supporters for us to sign a striker in January:
What I beg the supporters is that they are behind the team, that they’ve done in difficult moments. Stick with the ones we have - they are incredibly good. If not, they don’t do what they’ve done again today, in Anfield and here. Stick with them, it’s exactly what they need, that we are fully behind them. Then they feel important, and supported because they deserve it, with their attitude they don’t deserve anything different. That’s my opinion.
on the frustrations of good performances not becoming positive results:
It is frustrating, but what can we do? I cannot tell them to play bad, don’t shoot, Liverpool is going to score an own goal and we’re going to win the game, I don’t know how to create a gameplan like this, it’s impossible. Stick with them; if we have 18, next time we have 35, and continuously do that, do that, do that the ball will go into the net. We’ll generate momentum, and we will win a lot of games, that’s for sure.
on Gabriel Jesus’ injury:
He had some pain in his knee, so we did a scan and it showed something. Hopefully it is not something big, it’s the same knee that he had [previously injured] so we cannot take any risks. Hopefully not [a big injury]
on whether the Jesus injury and lack of goals have changed his mindset on transfers:
One thing is what we need, one thing is what we can do as well, and what we need to do now is stay behind those players. Give them support, love, train them and make sure they visualise something very different to what is actually happening right now. They’ve done it, we’re not going to invent or reinvent the wheel because they have done it.
on the risk of not scoring chances becoming a psychological issue:
It probably has, especially after today, more than it was against Fulham, more than it was against West Ham. That’s why we need to reset; the break comes at a good time because they are going to feel how we feel, how I feel about them very clearly in difficult moments, not when things are going well. Hopefully they can see from many other people that they jump on the train when things go well so when things are more difficult let’s see where they stand.
on why Eddie Nketiah didn’t start:
It was for the reasons that we expected, especially in the first part of the game, what we wanted and that’s it
on whether Jesus will travel with the squad to Dubai:
I think so.
on how difficult this current moment is right now:
It is very difficult but if the team is getting hammered and not playing well, and not deserving to win football matches I would be much more worried. I am worried because I love winning and we have to win many more games. At the moment that is the thing we have to change and probably what has to be reset is up here [mentally].
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