Every word Mikel Arteta said on Gabriel injury, White fitness, Odegaard return and Nwaneri chance to start vs Newcastle
Before we start to talk about football I would like to talk about the terrible disaster that is affecting our country at the moment. I want to send from our side our thoughts, our full support and our sympathy to everyone being affected, all the individuals and obviously all the country that is pulling together to find the best possible solution in this difficult moment. From here I want to show my full support and ask everybody in the way that they can to show their support because it’s terrible what’s happening.
Is it good news on Gabriel?
Yes. We have a training session today. If he’s able to complete that he will be available. He hasn’t had any training sessions yet but if he can do that today he will be available in the squad.
How are Calafiori, Odegaard and White?
So Ricci and Martin are out definitely. With Ben we don’t know yet. He hasn’t trained yet. He could not train, he could not get involved so let’s see what happens.
Are you concerned about the gap opening up at the top of the table?
You want to be first. We know the situations that we have to play with this season. We are right in the mix. We know the tough challenge that going to face tomorrow and we’re fully ready for that.
Do you have any regrets on your actions at Newcastle last year?
That’s part of the past and part of the situation that happened. You learn from it and you take a lot of positives as well. We moved on.
Do you think your comments worked?
My intention is not that the comments worked. I had to say what I felt on the day.
Have the standards of refereeing improved?
They are certainly trying their best.
Do you think you learnt something new after the Liverpool game?
Unfortunately a lot of things happened that we couldn’t even plan for. I was suspecting that with the size of squad that we have that we would have to be very adaptable in the season. That’s something we’ve worked on since pre-season. Obviously we didn’t expect to need to be that adaptable. The team showed great capacity to compete in certain moments but it’s true that in the second half early again something happened that affected the rest. But we are there.
What can you say about Ben White moving to centre back?
That’s Ben’s quality. He can play in those two positions and he can adapt his role within those positions and play at a different height. It’s very demanding against a very difficult, tricky opponent with very particular duels in that area of the pitch to do that job when he hasn’t played there for over a year. He was very good.
What do you make of Newcastle this season?
The league position after nine games is very tricky, especially if you look at the fixtures they’ve had and some of the situations they’ve faced. But they are a fantastic team, very well coached. It’s a great stadium to play and you know that you’re going to face there, so, looking forward to it.
What do you think about Ruben Amorim?
I cannot talk about these kind of situations.
What’s it like being a young manager coming in to the Premier League?
Fantastic. Great.
Nwaneri. How good can he be? Pressure on him to succeed?
I can talk about how good he is right now and at 17 years old and doing the position that he is at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, I think that sums up really well the level he has. What happens in the future is going to mainly depend on him and how much he wants it. At the moment he wants it a lot and he is surrounded by the right people. The crystal ball to see what he is going to be in two or three years, no. My prediction is going to be very positive?
Right up there with the best at this age group?
It is rare to see a talent like this at 17, that’s true. When he made his debut in the Premier League there was a lot of talk about it. We didn’t do it as a gift, we did it because we knew the pathway we wanted to build with him and we wanted to send him a really strong sign about how much we trust him and how much we wanted him to stay with us. We are delighted to have him.
Why are there so many injuries to PL clubs this season?
I think there are two aspects. One, I think we’ve been quite unlucky with some of them and especially to happen in very similar positions and then obviously the demands those players are having every week. If you put that into perspective that as well you have a smaller squad because of all the restrictions that are hitting all the clubs. You cannot have 30 quality players in the squad, the moment that one player has to play more minutes and has a domino effect on the rest of the squad – that is difficult to manage.
Protect Nwaneri amid so much talk around him?
I think the biggest thing is to push him and then when he is pushing you grab him from behind to make sure he is stable and protected. This talent you have to push him. Protection is necessary, keeping an eye on him but he needs to see that he can go and fly and not cut his wings.
Saka’s similar journey helpful?
I think that creates belief in the building, to all those in the academy and the young players that there is a clear pathway, that we are going to give them opportunities and if they earn it they will be treated like the rest.
Thomas Partey. More minutes this season already vs last. Contribution to the team?
We need it from Thomas to be at the level we want him to be. He’s working so hard to do what he is doing at the moment, I think he is playing really well, in different positions and with different demands and he is coping with it in a great way. He’s a big player for us.
He’s only 31. Out of contract next summer. Plans to talk to him?
I love what you said. He’s ONLY 31! He’s in a really good place and we will have these discussions.
You were also a talent at 17…
No, no, not at that level. I was really lucky as well because somebody trusted me at that age and gave me the opportunity which is what they need as well. Somebody has to give you the chance, the belief, and then you have to be surrounded by the right team and players and if you do that you have a chance.
Anything from your personal experience at that age which has helped with Nwaneri?
Yeah, individually there are a lot of things I should probably have done that I have learned. If I can give him advice, great. What I like about him is that he really believes that he has the ability to do it. He really believes that he is more than capable of taking anybody’s place. He has earned the trust of his team mates which is vital for a teenager coming through.
He was cramping vs Preston – that why we haven’t seen him in PL yet?
It is a huge jump and we need to understand where he is coming from, if he has had any issues in the last three to five years in his growth and development in the physical part are really important to take care of because a lot goes through the roof straight away without you knowing. Then you look back and see what he has done in four months compared to the last 18 months so we need to keep an eye on that.
You’ve been speaking about meditation – does it help you with ref decisions?
On the touchline I haven’t got to that point where I am in meditation mode yet, but maybe it is something that has to happen!
I just want the best for the team and I want to give the team the best chance to be as competitive as possible, to win the majority of the football matches. When they changed the rules and certain behaviours towards the touchline we need to adapt to that and evolve. That is what I try to do.
No yellow cards yet – have you evolved?
I don’t want to miss any games, that is for sure. I cannot promise you that if we score a goal I am not going to be jumping up and down the touchline. I cannot guarantee that. Hopefully as well they have adapted and they have understood that emotions are a big part of that. I cannot control myself in the scoreline and so far it has worked.
Ben White still groin issue?
No, this is relating more to a joint.
Tomi back before the break?
No, I don’t expect him to be available before then unfortunately.
Is Milan a possibility for Martin?
Now is the stage he is going to start doing certain work with us and just see how he deals with pain, if he is moving naturally enough and if he is physically at the level required to compete.
But with the work rate and the hours he has put in I would be surprised if the moment he starts training with us we don’t say he is ready so hopefully soon.
Same emotion when watching back Newcastle goal last season?
I didn’t stop on that sequence! I didn’t want to go through that. It is already on my hard drive so I didn’t want to go through
