Every word from Arteta’s pre-Atleti presser | Press conference | News
After touching down in Spain forward of our Champions League semi-final first leg in opposition to Atletico Madrid, Mikel Arteta was quickly within the press room on the Metropolitano Stadium answering questions from the media.
He spoke concerning the alternative in entrance of us, accidents, Atletico’s threats, Diego Simeone and rather more. Here is all the things he needed to say:
on damage updates:
Kai is out, and Ebz is able to go.
on Riccardo Calafiori and Bukayo Saka’s availability:
[Riccardo] is offered tomorrow.
on how a lot confidence we will take after our win in opposition to Newcastle:
After that large win in opposition to Newcastle, I took away the vitality, the boldness coming into this sport. It’s a large privilege to be right here once more, two years in a row on the similar a part of the Champions League, representing our membership. We have a chance, we’ll document it with each fingers. You’re going to see a workforce that wishes to be dominant, that wishes to win it, and so they need to begin to resolve the tie tomorrow.
on what we’re anticipating from Atletico Madrid:
A extremely powerful match. They’re a workforce that has a lot expertise within the competitors, that has each proper to be right here, as a result of what they’ve accomplished is exceptional. We know the problem of the match, however I believe we now have proven in Europe, in any floor, what we’re able to. We’ve been very constant, and tomorrow we now have to play with that confidence, with that need and that may, to come back right here to win the sport.
on the chance we now have to make historical past forward of us:
That’s the best way we’re all feeling, and that is the vitality that I really feel among the many workforce and the membership. This is the standing that we wish, and we now have earned it via unbelievable work, ardour and high quality within the final 9 months. Now is the second to make a press release, and present how good we’re, how a lot we wish it, and make it occur. It’s clear, the chance is in entrance of us, and we now have to assault it.
on what we have to do in opposition to Atletico Madrid:
Every opponent and in each context, whether or not it is the stadium, the opponent, the way that they play, have variations. There are issues that clearly must be highlighted, whether or not it is their strengths or their weaknesses as nicely, and particularly in opposition to [Atleti]there are moments in video games and we now have to handle that so nicely to achieve success and win the sport.
on if he is reminded the gamers that despite the fact that we beat Atletico in October, we misplaced to PSG after beating them final yr:
No, as a result of it is not a really optimistic one. There are a whole lot of optimistic messages that I can ship to the workforce. Obviously, we have realized issues from that sport, however tomorrow’s sport goes to be a very totally different one, particularly taking part in right here. We know what they’ve accomplished and what they’re able to, and since we now have some expertise in these sorts of video games, so we all know precisely what we have to do.
on if we’re serious about Julian Alvarez:
You know that I do not discuss any participant that isn’t our participant.
on if adversarial climate situations shall be an issue tomorrow evening:
We adapt to any context, and for the final 9 months, think about the quantity of video games that we now have performed in several eventualities, totally different contexts, totally different opponents. So, we’ll adapt to the situations tomorrow in the very best solution to be ourselves and win the sport.
on whether or not he feels we belong at this stage and if we will take the following step:
I do not take it with no consideration as a result of a really quick time in the past, this membership had seven years with out Champions League. So, in that very quick time frame, what we now have achieved is exceptional. We know the problem of it, we all know how a lot we labored for this, so get pleasure from it, take the chance, embrace it, as a result of it’s extremely powerful to be right here.
on our sport in opposition to Burnley being moved:
I’m not shocked – it is the final residence sport of the season, and also you need to play on the weekend. The sport, the time and the date have been set and now it has been modified, so it is not splendid, particularly for our supporters. But the TV has the correct to take action, so that they’ve accomplished it and sadly, we’ll must adapt to that as nicely and play our sport, and attempt to have everybody in that stadium in the identical method, with the identical vitality, as a result of we all know what’s at stake.
on whether or not Jurrien Timber shall be again quickly:
We do not know but. He’s performing some stuff on the pitch for the time being, however we have to get the gears up and be capable of do extra issues earlier than he can compete with us.
on if he needs possibilities across the field have been taken extra typically:
We must do higher. Obviously, the extra we will take pictures, the standard of these pictures, and it was an ideal instance in opposition to Newcastle what can occur. We need to enhance in each division however on the similar time, to be the place we’re sitting right here tonight, you need to be distinctive, one of many prime 4 groups in Europe to be right here. So, think about how troublesome that’s.
on if it is key to move again to the house leg with a bonus:
That’s what we need to do, we now have ready the sport to win it – there isn’t any query about that. We must be ourselves and do what we do consistently with our opponents. And then, let’s examine what the sport throws, the extent that we will present, the standard that we will present, and hopefully that is going to be the case.
on what he likes about Diego Simeone:
The ardour for the sport, for the career. He’s one who has remodeled this membership in 15 years, and the best way he has accomplished it, the consistency, the end result he has achieved, the best way he has accomplished it, how he has revealed himself in all the things. I’ve at all times admired him as an individual. Everyone has their very own model; the one who feels, the one who can impress his gamers, the one who has a relationship with the membership. He’s a reference for all.
on if the climate will affect the pitch:
I simply walked on the grass, and it is extremely good. What occurs up there, none of us is aware of. Especially at the moment of the sport, we’ll adapt to the context. The good factor is that within the final 10 months we now have performed in infinite eventualities, rivals, contexts, and the workforce has arrived right here as a result of it is able to adapt.
on the strengths of Simeone’s workforce:
It shouldn’t be a query of concern. They are robust and so they have many strengths, as a result of in any other case they might not be the place they’re, similar to us. Firstly, the togetherness they’ve, the vitality they can generate on this stadium is one. The perception and the expertise, as a result of they’ve already accomplished it. The capability to stage up that they’ve. At the second, the small print are crucial.
on how we’ll method the sport tomorrow:
Understanding what is occurring for the time being, how they’re activated and what makes them tick. We have recognized their threats. Tomorrow, we now have to have the ability to take a look at them rapidly and never allow them to go. And above all, we now have to make it possible for we go toe-to-toe with them.
