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(The Guardian) Arteta: My job was to bring Arsenal back where they belong
Arteta speaks before Sunday’s game against West Ham: “Eddie [Nketiah] is back, he’s fully fit. William Saliba is not far [from full training] … we need to be cautious because of the nature of the injury. He’s evolving well.”
Was he happy that players were so upset by conceding the late goal against Liverpool?
“Yeah. You should be. You have to be upset … we wanted to win the game. We had a spell in the first half maybe when we could kill the game. The reality is in the second half we had some really tough moments and we had to dig in. That was the game. After the game it’s easy to say: Stop it happening again [conceding late and losing points]. They were always going to have periods of dominance, where they get you into that chaotic game that they are exceptional at. We didn’t manage to get out of that game well enough, and that’s why we suffered.”
Does luck come into the title race?
“You need luck, you need luck in the right moments … why that luck is coming from is really important, and how you think about it, and what is going to happen [he’s lost me there]. It’s another part in sport, sometimes it’s about inches, and those inches have to go your way.
Arteta is asked if Arsenal only being in the Premier League, and not in Europe or another Cup, will help. He dodges the question.
“We want our players to be as fit as possible and available … we had certain issues with certain players … we just want to have everybody available and fit.
Arteta is told that the number-crunchers make City title favourites based on the data. Arteta gives a blank look, and a straight-bat question.
“If you asked them at the start of the season, for sure they would say this, so nothing’s changed.”
At the start of this season, did Arteta envisage fighting for the title?
“Yes … You go day by day … My job was to bring the club back to where it belongs, fighting around every single trophy that is possible, at the highest level. That’s what we are trying to do.
Is he ahead of schedule on that?
“We are where we are. We are happy where we are. Now we have to finish the job. I have to ask for an extra bit from everybody.”
His feelings about David Moyes, the West Ham manager?
“More than respect it’s admiration. I loved playing under him … I would go through a brick wall for him when he was my manager … really good coach, very good at managing the group, a very special person … a man of his word. Someone that I learned a lot from. He saw things in me that I didn’t know. He asked me to play in positions that I never played in my life. The way he challenged me but the way he gave support, love and care, it was the right balance. He got the best out of me. Really helpful.”
Will he watch City’s game and will the players?
“Yeah, we will watch it, like we watch many other PL games.”
Arteta speaks before Sunday’s game against West Ham: “Eddie [Nketiah] is back, he’s fully fit. William Saliba is not far [from full training] … we need to be cautious because of the nature of the injury. He’s evolving well.”
Was he happy that players were so upset by conceding the late goal against Liverpool?
“Yeah. You should be. You have to be upset … we wanted to win the game. We had a spell in the first half maybe when we could kill the game. The reality is in the second half we had some really tough moments and we had to dig in. That was the game. After the game it’s easy to say: Stop it happening again [conceding late and losing points]. They were always going to have periods of dominance, where they get you into that chaotic game that they are exceptional at. We didn’t manage to get out of that game well enough, and that’s why we suffered.”
Does luck come into the title race?
“You need luck, you need luck in the right moments … why that luck is coming from is really important, and how you think about it, and what is going to happen [he’s lost me there]. It’s another part in sport, sometimes it’s about inches, and those inches have to go your way.
Arteta is asked if Arsenal only being in the Premier League, and not in Europe or another Cup, will help. He dodges the question.
“We want our players to be as fit as possible and available … we had certain issues with certain players … we just want to have everybody available and fit.
Arteta is told that the number-crunchers make City title favourites based on the data. Arteta gives a blank look, and a straight-bat question.
“If you asked them at the start of the season, for sure they would say this, so nothing’s changed.”
At the start of this season, did Arteta envisage fighting for the title?
“Yes … You go day by day … My job was to bring the club back to where it belongs, fighting around every single trophy that is possible, at the highest level. That’s what we are trying to do.
Is he ahead of schedule on that?
“We are where we are. We are happy where we are. Now we have to finish the job. I have to ask for an extra bit from everybody.”
His feelings about David Moyes, the West Ham manager?
“More than respect it’s admiration. I loved playing under him … I would go through a brick wall for him when he was my manager … really good coach, very good at managing the group, a very special person … a man of his word. Someone that I learned a lot from. He saw things in me that I didn’t know. He asked me to play in positions that I never played in my life. The way he challenged me but the way he gave support, love and care, it was the right balance. He got the best out of me. Really helpful.”
Will he watch City’s game and will the players?
“Yeah, we will watch it, like we watch many other PL games.”
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