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The Premier League returns to action after three weeks without a game when we face Championship rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and as usual, Mikel Arteta met the media early.
Journalists flocked to the Sobha Properties training center to hear his thoughts on a range of topics including team news, our recent meeting with Manchester City, his friendship with Pep Guardiola and more.
Here’s everything the boss had to say ahead of the big game:
On the availability of Gabriel, Saka and Martinelli:
Have the opportunity. They haven’t practiced yet, but we have another practice tomorrow so they’ll have a chance to play.
On whether the international break comes at a bad time for our motivation:
There’s nothing you can do about it, the moment has passed. They have to go to their national teams and we did the best we could in the time we spent with certain players. Now everyone is back and very positive and excited about what’s to come.
Based on the belief we gained after beating Manchester City in October:
We also had some clashes in the FA Cup and the Community Shield, which were great experiences. They’ve raised the bar in this league, and I think in football as a whole, to a level that’s never been seen before. This is the charm of sports, it makes you better and brings you more challenges. You have to keep up with that, and that’s what we’re trying to do.
On whether things feel different to the last time we played at the Etihad Stadium:
There is a difference between them. The dynamics were different, we had some results and some serious injuries in that moment, but those lessons were worth learning from. Sometimes we have to applaud when the opponent is better than you and that was the day, learn from it and challenge yourself to become better.
Has his relationship with Guardiola changed since he joined us:
It has to change, but my admiration and my feelings for him certainly don’t. In my opinion he is the best coach in the world and one of the best people I have ever met in football and certainly one of the people I have more fun and laughs with at work and that will always be Stay there. Obviously that’s the way it is with our current role and you have to adapt to it. That’s how it is, but it’s also true in relationships with players. I have some teammates here and then you become the coach and the relationship has to adapt. You can’t feel differently about this person, but professionally you have to act differently.
On Ben White not joining the England squad:
I think he gets a lot of love and you just have to look at what his teammates and everyone in football thinks of them, especially those who are close to him. I think people respect his decision and hopefully one day he’ll be ready to represent his country in the best possible way, but it’s all up to him.
On why Ben made himself unavailable:
This was his question and he was the one who had to answer it.
On his takeaways from our last game away at Manchester City:
The level we face and the level we want to reach. Of course, that’s what we want to achieve, and you have to take strong steps to achieve that. I think we’ve made some big gains over the last two or three years and we’re getting closer and closer, and now it’s a matter of closing the gap and really trying to be better than them.
On beating one of the best teams in the world this season:
It’s great but that’s competition and so is Liverpool. They have earned the right for everyone to look up to them as role models because what they do is extraordinary. To do that in this league and do it as consistently as they do, I think it helps raise our level and our demands to try to be like them and beat them.
On being in another exciting title fight:
I just watched everyone walk into the building and I loved the energy. I loved their smiles, they were happy to be back and they really wanted to train yesterday. The way they communicate and interact with each other is amazing. We have to embrace this moment, we need to train well day in and day out, be ready for every game and see where this brings us. We’ve done a lot to get to where we are now and now we have to embrace and enjoy this moment and fight for it.
On whether this is the most confident he’s ever been to take us to the Etihad Stadium:
I have confidence and trust in my players and what we’re trying to do. It’s something we have to show on the pitch and it’s easy to talk about outside.
On what Gareth Southgate said about Ben White:
I have no idea. That’s between them, I don’t know what they have arranged or agreed to, it’s entirely up to them.
Fighting for the title with Guardiola:
Maybe I’m more willing to confront others, so I don’t feel that way! But this is not a choice, this is a choice, nothing more. People want to win; we know each other very well and we will prepare ourselves to win.
On whether he bought him any birthday gifts:
No, he did not.
Sunday’s Conte Cup final also reflected the scale of the weekend:
It’s a big weekend for the club. We wish them all the best in the final, I think they’ve done an incredible job and I hope they get a lot of support as well, so that’s great news. Let us work together.
Ways Guardiola innovated the sport:
I know his passion for the game, his intelligence, the way he approaches the team and the club and how demanding he is, and he has an unbelievable work ethic. That’s what people don’t see; it’s a lot of work behind the scenes and he’s done it every season in the top flight for three different clubs and that’s a huge quality.
On whether he wants Ben White to play for England again:
As his manager I want the best for him personally and professionally and he really needs to feel that. If one day he does it, and that’s what it is, I think it’s the best thing for everyone, but you have to respect that.
On the secrets behind our good away form this season:
The secret I don’t know – probably is that we try to play the same way away as we do at home and play with such belief and aggression. You have to play every team twice and we know our schedule, but I’m looking forward to it.
On how he gets his players to believe they can win on the road:
That belief also comes from winning and starting to win in areas where you haven’t won in years. You do it elsewhere and that belief creates momentum. Now their approach to away games is very similar to home games. You can’t replicate it, but at least in spirit it is. They play for very similar purposes.
On whether this momentum puts us in a better position to beat Manchester City than in previous seasons:
hope so. It’s actually different to the last game we played before this season and now we have to prove it on the pitch.
Regarding whether the games after the international break will affect the quality of the game:
That’s a good question, I don’t know. Hopefully from our side, no. Hopefully we can keep doing what we’re doing and be at our best.
Regarding the March international break and players withdrawing from international duty:
I think in general the whole calendar has to be looked at because there’s a lot of games but it’s a topic that we all know and it doesn’t look like we’re going to be affecting it in the right way but you’ve been throughout the international period and I look at A lot of games and a lot of players in different situations.
On how clubs and countries can work together on player availability:
We try to have the best possible communication with the national team, but at the end of the day, they have the ability to select players and use them how they feel. I always feel like they want to protect the players as well, but they do have their own pressures. They have to fulfill their responsibilities and I would never put myself in their shoes and tell them that they can’t express their opinions and explain in the most open way what the players feel and what we suggest, but it’s entirely up to them.
What changes we need to make in order to be better at the end of this year’s season:
There are many details. There are certain moments, like when you’re 2-0 up at Anfield and you have the motivation to go on and win the game, but you don’t and it ends up being a draw. West Ham in the same position, you can still win, but you miss the penalty. Those two games and the third one were against Southampton, games we obviously should have won but there were a lot of factors that didn’t allow us to win. We had injuries, sports, a lot going on at the time, and that momentum shifted into a more negative momentum.we are trying to keep up [with City] Because they kept winning, they won 14, 15 games in a row, and they did it.
On the importance of Sunday’s game in the title race:
There’s no doubt it’s a big game for both teams because if we go there and win it will give us a huge boost again, but I still feel like there’s still a lot to be done to get the win A long, long way to go.
On Kai Havertz’s importance to this weekend:
He’s always been in good shape. His overall performance was very complete for his country and for us and his goal threat was clear. He is a player who has played in different positions and fulfilled those roles well. We’ll see how we use him in this game.
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