Press conference

Every word from Mikel's pre-Man City presser

The press conference room at our London Colney training ground was packed on Tuesday afternoon ahead of our crunch showdown with Manchester City.

A host of topics were up for discussion during the manager's press conference, looking ahead to the top-of-the-table meeting with the side Mikel Arteta worked at for more than three years.

The boss fielded questions on a variety of topics, including the controversial VAR decision in the Brentford game, his plans for the fixture on Wednesday, what he expects from the Emirates crowd and the state of play in the title race. 

Here’s a full transcript of what he said:

on the VAR decision against Brentford:

After analysing the images, we [had] a huge anger and disappointment because that wasn’t a human error - that was a big, big, big [case of] not understanding the job. That’s unacceptable. That cost us two points. That’s not going to be restored, so we’re going to have to find those two points somewhere else in the league. But at the same time, we appreciate the apology and the explanation, which was really open, to be fair. We’ve got a lot of sympathy from a lot of colleagues in the industry, in football, that we cannot play with the integrity of the game in the way that we do. That’s it. We have to move on. It has made the players, the staff and our fans even stronger and with more desire to pass this hurdle that they put on us. We are ready for it.

on whether he is satisfied an incident like that won’t happen again:

I will only be satisfied if they give me the two points back, which is not going to be the case. I appreciate and I think they were really sincere, open and genuine apologies and explanations, which is really good. But it doesn’t take the fact that we have two less points than we should have on the table.

on whether it’s hard to take when players and staff work hard but are let down by decisions:

Everybody makes errors and mistakes. But that was something else. I wasn’t having it, the club wasn’t having it and I think the consequences of what happened are clear.

on whether VAR is fit for purpose:

When I see the reaction that Howard Webb, the PGMOL and the Premier League had, and genuine it was, with that anger, they want to do the best they can and they understand everything that is at stake. I think at the end it will help. Hopefully we can use that to make the game better, to have more integrity, better professionals and really pay attention to details that matter, because at the end of the day, that has a significant output on results.  

on whether he’s used the incident to galvanise the squad:

That was the reaction straight away from everybody. We cannot do anything about it. Don’t use it as an excuse. Try to move on, face it and go for it. That’s it.

on team news:

Everybody that we had from the previous game is available so far, unless something strange happens today. We’re looking forward to it.

on whether he’s close to changing the team:

That’s more determined by results but for us, it’s more about performances and what players have given us to take us to the position we are in today. They deserve opportunities. Obviously we are looking to give players opportunities that they deserve. You talked about Leo - we’re talking about anybody who has had minutes in this league. There will be changes - it will happen and very soon. 

on the mood in training this week:

There is a great energy, I sensed it after I arrived after the Brentford game from the start. Around the club there was a mixture of anger and a desire to play the next game, so we need to use that for tomorrow.

on what is City’s biggest threat:

They as a team. What they have done in the last six years, they absolutely merit it - on the pitch and the way they play, the way they have competed and how they have gone through difficulties. For us, the challenge is to get to that level and we need to use that challenge and that energy to say ‘this is where we want to be.’ That is the level, and we are heading towards it.

on never having beaten Guardiola before:

It’s for the team, the club and where we are. For me personally, it is not about beating one manager, it is about beating the next opponent, and in this case, it is Man City.

on what he expects from the Emirates crowd tomorrow:

We’ll play with 15 players tomorrow! They are so into it with every single ball and giving us energy and support, and basically everything they have been doing. Let’s enjoy it, a beautiful night on a really special day.

on what he has learnt from adversity:

We have had a few moments in the past as well where we have learnt a lot, especially the people that we have in the team and the type of characters that they are, how much they care about their profession and how close they are to each other, and how clear the ambition and the purpose of what we do every single day to win.

on whether City’s style will suit us:

I hope so, obviously they have totally different qualities and game styles, but every team faces difficult challenges.

on being against Guardiola on the touchline:

I want to win tomorrow.

on whether he expected to be in this position at the start of the season:

If you told me that at the start of the season, I would doubt it! I would hope but I would be doubtful but this is where we are, we have earnt it and now we have to move every single day to try and improve what we do.

on whether the Premier League should implement semi-automatic offsides:

I don’t know if that will come, there are many discussions around it. We started this season this way, and maybe there will be changes in the summer - I don’t know what the plan is for that.

on whether referees should be punished more severely for their mistakes:

I don’t know, it is not for me to judge. This is not about someone making a mistake and we crucify them, it’s trying to do the best all together to have a fairer sport and make the decision process simpler or clearer, or the communications better, and hopefully that’ll help after what happened last weekend.

on whether the charges against City have galvanised them:

I don’t know what the outcome will be.

on how important title-winning experience will be:

I don’t know how much experience we had when we had to play Manchester United at home, or Chelsea or Spurs away. It’s about how good we are tomorrow night, how well we perform - that will dictate what happens in the game.

on how different this game is:

At the end it’s three points. The same three points that we had to get against Spurs, the two points we lost against Brentford – exactly the same.

on whether Smith Rowe and Nelson will be available:

I will write the list now so I will make that decision.

on whether it’s an advantage that it’s our first title race:

I don’t know. We are comparing two very different teams. One with huge experience of doing that and a lot of our players have never done it. We want to use that energy and that anger that we have inside to make the most out of it.

on studying under Guardiola:

I was working there, I was studying a lot, but I was working there. It was an incredible experience on a personal and professional level, to be with him and all the coaching staff and the players at the time. Like every experience, it made me a better person, a better coach for sure. You use those experiences for your own career.

on what he thinks when people say they have figured out Arsenal:

I don’t know. Every team is trying to work out what we do, the same that we do with every opponent (we face). When I look at the games, and what we produce in the games, I’m usually very satisfied with what happens. Sometimes we can do better because there are many factors that can determine that, but for sure we are always looking to evolve to be better, with the players we have, and put them in the best positions to win the games.

on the atmosphere generated at the Emirates:

The atmosphere we are generating at the Emirates is incredible. The players are talking about it, and it makes it very special to be part of it.

on Jesus’s recovery:

He’s doing really well, he’s on the pitch, he’s been doing a lot of work on his own with the ball already. He’s in good spirits, and so far the rehab is going well.

on whether there is a timeframe for return:

Unfortunately not, ask the doctor, maybe he gives you one.

on whether he believes Guardiola when he says Haaland is a doubt:

Of course. That’s what he said so I believe him.

on whether he agrees Arsenal are the best team so far this season:

Well the table says we have the most points. To be the best team in the league obviously there is still another four months to go and we have to prove that every single game.

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