Every word from Arteta’s pre-Newcastle presser | Press conference | News

We return to N5 this weekend to take on Newcastle United, and Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before we face the Magpies.

Mikel answered questions on the fitness of the squad, the title race and Declan Rice before the clash at Emirates Stadium.

Read the full transcript below, with a video fo the press conference to follow shortly!

on if there are any fresh injury concerns:
Bukayo (Saka) probably is going to be in the squad, so good news.

on Calafiori and Timber:
Probably in the squad as well. Jurrien not in the squad.

on what has reinforced the idea this week that we’re ready to go all in on the title race:
The same, that the energy raised, the belief raised, I think the clarity of what we have to do, it cannot be better. Five games to go, tomorrow, game one, all in. Let’s go for it.

on what our supercomputer says compared to Opta:
Win tomorrow, game one win and then we’ll be much closer. on our belief in what we’re saying:I have belief in our players, in our people and the willingness that we have to achieve what we want.

on if we have to be perfect between now and the end of the season:
I don’t know. It’s five games to go, four weeks, two big competitions to play for and everything to play for. I mean, if someone would have told us at the beginning of the season, we would have taken it and we are so excited, and tomorrow is game one.

on our approach and team selection with goal difference in mind:
We don’t know. We are just talking about possibilities. The first thing we have to do is earn the right to win the game and then win it, and then, depending on how the situation is, you can think about something else. But the priority is that you have to be better than the opposition, earn the right to win the game and win it. That’s the first thing.

on fighting for a title against Celtic when he played for Rangers:
We were fighting with Celtic for 10 months. We got to the last kick of the game, minute 96 at home. We needed to score a goal, and I took the penalty, and we won the league by a one-goal difference. That was it.

on the feeling he had then:
It doesn’t get better than that. I went the right way, and it was one of the best feelings I’ve had in my career, because when you have to earn it so much, when everything is on the line and so undecided, when you win it, it’s even more special. on if everything is on the line now:You have to put everything into it. That’s what I said. It’s all in. When you’re going to play now, those five games start tomorrow. Everything that you have, you have to put it on the table, and you have to make it happen. That’s clear.

on Liam Rosenior being sacked by Chelsea:
It’s always sad to see a colleague leave a club, and especially when we are so close to the season. At the end, the clubs are here and they try to make decisions. We know the scrutiny and the demands on our jobs, and we know that the only thing that matters at the end is winning a lot of matches, that’s it.

on if we’re using any different inspirational techniques at the moment:
Well, every game we do something different to inspire them, to guide them, to talk about a specific topic maybe on the day. And this week we didn’t have to do much. The energy has been so good, the weather has helped as well. So much has been beautiful. We know it’s so clear what is at stake, how much we fought for this with our people.

on Zubimendi’s relationship with his teammates and if he’s gone through highs and lows:
He’s very good. I mean, to play 50 games for Arsenal in your first season at the level that he’s done and the amount of games that we’ve won, you have to do things in an exceptional way. He’s very much liked by everybody. You can sense that if you go back to clips in September, October, November, I can show you when he scored goals or assists or whatever. The reaction and how he feels with his teammates is so good. We are blessed to have him.

on Newcastle’s recent form:
Well, we know the difficulty of the league. Very clear, the ability and the quality of Newcastle, what Eddie’s done with that team and continues to do, we know how tough the opponent is going to be tomorrow. We have to be at our best. If we do that, we’re going to have a big chance to win.

on if we’ll play with a bit more freedom towards the end of the season:
I don’t know. It’s the goals for, goals against. I think there’s going to be a balance of that. It’s been all season, that’s why the goal difference between the two teams is so small. So, yeah, first of all, as I said, very clear what we have to do to win the game, to earn the right to win the game, to compete and be better than the opponent. The rest will come.

on Man City only beating Burnley 1-0:
It’s always better to win 3-4-5, but you play in the Premier League and have your opponent, it’s very difficult.

on if we have everything to win or everything to lose:
Everything to win. When we are in the position that we are playing the two biggest competitions that we’ve had this season, the position that we are in, I think it’s a simple answer.

on what he will do differently this year:
Every game will be different. Focus on the priorities and the things that we can do to help the players arrive in the best state possible with the team. Make sure that we have all the players available, which is one of the most important things and a big lesson that we learn from it. Give them confidence, trust and belief that we’re going to do it, that’s it.

on appreciating Rice’s performances:
I do, we do. We know the player that we have, how blessed we are to have him. This season that he’s having again has been absolutely outstanding and that’s it. It’s about the next performance and now it’s Newcastle, it’s tomorrow and I’m sure he will step up again and make a difference for the team.

on if the final five games being more about mentality than tactics:
Well, it’s a reality as well and in the context of the two teams and where we are at the table and the amount of games that are left, I think it was the right way for me to express it and that’s the way I feel and tomorrow is game one. That’s it.

on how Saka has been this week:
We have given him some time because there was a moment that he was struggling to sustain the performances because he wasn’t comfortable at all and we’ve done that so he had the right treatment, the right space. He had some time as well for himself and now it’s the most important part of the season and he’s back with us.

on how important it is for him to have time for himself, like last season when he went on holiday while injured:
Well, because it was a long-term injury. I think it was a good moment for him as well to reflect on that, to have some peace because we’ve been constantly asking and demanding him and it was a moment to say, ‘ok, now when you feel ready, let us know and we’ll go for it’.

on if there’s a psychological impact to being second in the league now:
No, because before the psychological effect was that we were getting chased for many months. So, what is better, what is worse? At the end of the day, we know what is the best thing, to win the next game. So the psychological effect is tough regardless of where you are because you have to win the game.

on if we’re getting to better availability in the squad now:
I hope. Now we need to get the best version out of them (Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori). So being available is not enough. Being available with your best version is what we need in this stage of the season. But at least they are with us. They make us certainly stronger. We miss them. And now all the players as well, they’ve just come back as well. They’re going to have more games, more minutes, and hopefully we will see a performance as well.

on if Merino has a chance of being fit this season:
It’s a bit premature to say. He’s evolving really well. He’s really pushing every boundary that he possibly can. But it’s a bit early to answer that question.

on Rice saying ‘it’s not done’:
Everything to play for. Go and grab it. That’s it. It’s there to grab it, and we need to do it.

on if we need to win every single game:
Yes, game one. We need to win the next game. That’s the most important thing. That’s the main thing. We can control our performance, our mindset, attitude towards the game tomorrow against Newcastle, and that’s the only thing that matters.

on Eze, Odegaard and Havertz playing together:
There are so many combinations that we haven’t seen all season. Unfortunately, because we have so many situations, but then when we see certain connections, I think the better we’re going to be.

on those three in particular:
There were a lot of things that I liked, and there are certain things obviously we have to improve, but there are a lot of things that I really liked in the game.

on the differences between Havertz and Gyokeres:
Very different profiles, but also very different games. The Man City game demanded something very different to the Bournemouth game. As well, it’s not about comparing, it’s having two very different profiles that make the team really, really strong, and we have to use them in the right way to win games. That’s it.

on Calafiori’s fitness:
You accept certain situations because it is what it is, but we are trying to implement a lot of things to give ourselves a better chance. He’s been much better this season than he was in the previous season. He was really unlucky in the previous season that he had last year as well. He’s putting so much into it as well and hopefully we can maintain him fit.

on the mindset being shifted after the Man City defeat:
Well, because we know. I mean, we’ve been there and it’s very clear that it’s still everything to play for. Five games, he’s there to take it and we need to go and grab it. I think it’s very simple.

on how hungry Saka is to get back:
He was in great spirits today. You can see that the sun is shining and that he’s back with the team because he had a different energy. He’s been through a tough period. We certainly missed him, and he’s back with us now.