Every word from Arteta’s Carabao Cup final presser | Press conference | News

Mikel Arteta is preparing his side for the Carabao Cup final this weekend, providing the opportunity to contest for the first trophy available this campaign.

Standing in our way at Wembley are Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, and Mikel addressed the media on Friday afternoon at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.

Here’s what the boss had to say ahead of Sunday’s showpiece:

on injury news:
We have another training session (on Saturday), so the ones that are in contention hopefully can give us good news.

on Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber’s availability:
We have another session, so let’s see if they can make it.

on the challenges of picking his 20-man squad:
Especially because everybody has been involved in the competition, and on the last day when you have the option to be at Wembley, not to give the opportunity for someone to be there, it’s difficult. So, yes, it’s something to think about.

on Kepa starting:
We will see how everybody is (after training on Saturday), and then we’ll make the decision.

on if this final means more:
For me, (just to win a trophy), that’s it. For me, that’s it. All the preparation and all the enjoyment in the next 48 hours to get to Wembley in the best possible way, really prepared and confident that we’re going to make it happen.

on the key to his 100% record at Wembley:
I don’t know, but let’s keep it that way, so make sure in a few hours we can do the same.

on how his relationship with Pep has changed:
It has changed – he’s in Manchester, I’m in London. We’re managing two different clubs. The feelings from my side haven’t changed at all. It’s changed in the fact that we’re never together – we cannot spend time together and that’s important for our relationship. But it’s not the most important thing, because what I feel about him and the time that we had together, what he did for me and the inspiration he’s been since I was little for me, that’s never going to change.

on if he’s nervous:
No, not nervous in general. I’m excited, enthusiastic, and positive.

on if he signed Viktor Gyokeres to win trophies:
Players have to perform daily at this level, but when it comes to the crucial moments and the moments to attack a trophy to take it and bring it home. That’s when you need players to step up and make the difference – that’s clear.

on how big a moment the final is in our season:
It’s one of the defining moments because at the end, it’s whether you win the trophy or not – and that’s the most important thing once you get to the final. But in order to be there, you have to do a lot of things and earn a lot of things as the team has done so far. So, we need to prove that point, that’s clear, and that has to be done on the pitch.

on if it’s about beating Pep Guardiola:
It’s not about that. In this profession, you are constantly learning, constantly evolving. I had the incredible privilege to work with Pep for four years and all the staff and an amazing club. That remains part of me because it was part of the journey and where I am today as a manager. But that means you have to continue to evolve and improve constantly.

on what it would mean to win with supporters at Wembley:
Let’s leave that until Sunday, and I can probably answer the question better, but I’ve done it when the stadium is full and been part of that, and it’s exceptional. One of the best memories I have as a player is playing those types of games. That’s why we’re all very excited, because we know what’s at stake. We really want it and we know what it’s going to mean for our people as well.

on the potential of the team:
There is a lot to do in my opinion, but we are very excited about what we’re doing and we need to continue to make the right strides. Especially, performing in the right way when those moments come. To achieve what we want, to start to build the momentum that we want as a club.

on making finals becoming a habit:
This is what we want, and the fact that we are at the end of March, and we are in four competitions, tells a lot about the team. But as I said, now it’s about the next step; the next game. At the defining moment, at the end, you need certain moments to go your way. Especially, you need to make it happen in the way you approach those games, and make decisions that are obviously going to impact the game.

on if City’s League Cup final win in 2018 was important to their success:
Certainly yes, because winning always helps, and winning that trophy helps more for sure. It gives you confidence, it gives you the feeling that when it comes to that moment, you can do it and you have enough resources to achieve what you want and then you still have to do all the other things that that team did back in the day.

on picking your goalkeeper for a final:
Especially if you talk to the goalkeeping coaches, they are very special because they are always different; it’s a position that is very specific. There is a lot of history about that that is very related to how people have made decisions in the past and when something different happens, it sounds different at least. But we don’t know how it’s going to be in 10 or 20 years’ time.

on closing the gap between the 2018 final and now:
I think both clubs were in very different stages at that moment. You could sense not only in terms of the squad but in many other situations how far we were and you just have to see as well what that club won before we were there as well, which was already very successful and at the time Arsenal was in a different period because of the history as well and some of the things that happened.

on when he felt we could compete with Man City:
All the work that has been done from day one because that’s the level. Just being the Arsenal manager and not believing that you can compete at the highest level in the competitions, I think it cannot be aligned. Obviously, there are a lot of factors, and the fact that I was there, I know in my opinion where the gaps were, and what the difference was. But not accepting it, being that it’s part of the reality, and trying to change it as quick as possible.

on trusting the process over the last six years:
I don’t know, I think it’s that but the fact that at the end you have to win a lot of games and you have to be very consistent if you want to maintain those words or the project continuously. People believe in it and at the end I don’t think it’s ever going to end, regardless of what happens and how much we win in the next few years. It’s always going to be something for the next two or three years and honestly we’ll plan that and the club will plan that in every department, not only in terms of the first team winning football matches, it’s part of it.

on viewing the final in isolation:
I don’t know but you live the moment and the present that much, that’s the only focus that you can put in. Obviously you can imagine how nice it would be on Sunday when you win it and we are all together and seeing it with our fans it would be a massive energy boost and belief for everybody and that’s why we want it so much.

on if players talk about the quadruple:
No, because we know that we need to go game by game and trophy by trophy.

on if it makes a difference changing goalkeepers:
No, because we don’t have that feeling amongst players. We really trust our teammates and in that case especially when you work with the quality of the keepers that we have right now at Arsenal. They played at the highest level with other clubs and they have the experience to deal with any kind of situation.

on if emotion comes into his decision to pick certain players:
Yes, every decision that you make has an impact, and when you have to pick between two players, normally it’s positive for you and negative for him. I’ll do it the other way around, it can be. You need to weigh everything, every decision, try to be as fair as possible as well and sensible, that’s it.

on if he’s spoken to Pep this week:
No, not this week.

on if he will speak to him before the final:
Yes, on Sunday. I will speak to him for sure.

on if there’s a reason why he hasn’t spoken to him:
No, no specific reason.

on if there’s more pressure on us compared to Manchester City:
When you have been in this position and gone years without winning a trophy, obviously it adds more necessity, but also more drive because you really want it. And that’s something that we have. That is something really important for us and something that we’ve been trying to achieve for a while and now we have the opportunity to do it.

on if he uses the occasion to motivate his players:
I don’t think you need a lot of motivation to play a final and to play a final in Wembley. And anybody who has been involved knows that there are a lot of elements that are very important to manage and to dominate in a final that we will discuss for sure.