Press conference

'I've never had such detailed training sessions'

Shkodran Mustafi has praised the clarity that Mikel Arteta has brought since taking charge - and says it helps get the best out of the team.

The centre back says that from the start, our manager has been very clear in what he expects from the squad and that every training session is meticulously planned.

 

"From day one, everyone believed in what he was trying to put on the pitch, how he wanted his team to play," Mustafi said.

 

"I think it made it easier for every single one of us because when you know what you have to do, when you know exactly what's going on on the pitch and how you have to play your part to make the team strong, it's what helps the most.

 

"I went on the pitch and I knew exactly what I had to do, I knew exactly what the coach wants from me and this made a lot of things easier.  

 

"I have to say, I have never had such detailed training sessions. We are working in great detail about everything. Of course, we try to do our football first but then we analyse the next opponent and see where we can defeat the opponents with our strength.

 

"He always has an idea of how he wants to play the next game and not every game is the same. He analyses the team so well that when we go to the training pitch, he knows exactly what he wants to do, what we have to train to then be prepared for the weekend.

 

"That's the positive thing, when you go into the game you have that picture that you had in the training session, you have the same picture in the game and that helps you a lot."