After our goalless draw with Liverpool on Thursday Mikel Arteta reflected the games talking points in his post-match press conference.
The manager was asked about the performance, dropping two points, creating chances, Gabriel Martinelli’s incident with Conor Bradley, Viktor Gyokeres’ performance and more.
Here’s a full transcript…
On the game:
Well obviously we wanted to win the game, unfortunately we didn’t manage to do that in the first half. We were much closer to that with the amount of situations and the spaces that we arrived into. Normally you have to pick someone in the box and it’s a goal. We had much more domination in the second half. We struggled to dominate the game more through two things. One, because we gave some very unnecessary balls away, very unlike with us, and that didn’t allow us to travel together as a team. And when you don’t do that, you are not compact and they start to drop everybody behind the ball and through the midfield, and back, without having any presence in the box obviously. But they have the ball, because I don’t think they had a single shot on target tonight. But we struggled more to dominate the game and to be a threat in the opposition box.
On our chance creation:
The movement was there, the arrival was there, the players were there. There are two or three that they come across and we need to occupy a space that we didn’t occupy to score the goal. But in many other occasions, the situation was there. But against Villa, we were excellent at that and every time we do that, that’s why you win those big matches and today we missed that, we were missing that, at least we were so disciplined that we didn’t concede absolutely anything against the champions.
On whether tonight feels like a missed opportunity:
Yeah, every time you don’t win. But then we would have been 12, 15 or 20 points ahead. I have to really praise the team and the players individually for what they’ve done in this Christmas period. Because the demands and the schedule, it’s unbelievable. And what they’ve done, I think, is remarkable. So to come out of this period with all the issues that we had, in the position that we are, in our strong position that we are, I think the boys deserve my credit and everybody’s recognition.
On having our supporters behind us:
We’ll go again. Thank you so much for the atmosphere again and being always behind the team. And that’s it. We’re in a really strong position and we have to keep going because it’s still very early in the season and we need them.
On Martinelli’s incident with Bradley:
Knowing Gabi, if anybody knows Gabi, he’s an incredible, lovely guy. And probably he didn’t realise what happened. I hope that Conor as well, I will have a word with him now, with him, to understand that. But probably he didn’t recognise what happened.
On the difficulty of maintaining the level:
I have this feeling since August. I think we all have the same, every manager, every player, every team. Because this is the level of this league and you see how difficult it is.
On whether the players find it difficult:
What it makes me feel is very proud because I know how difficult it is and what they’re doing. I recognise what they’re doing. It’s unbelievable.
On Gyokeres’ performance:
He was in great position, sometimes the ball didn’t arrive and as I said, there were situations.Normally we go into the six (yard box) that was almost with the ball at the feet. And normally that’s a goal or you pick somebody and you score a goal. We didn’t do that and that’s the thing that today we have to improve. Apart from the things that we did in the second half that wasn’t probably at the standards that we are used to.
On what he is most proud of so far this season:
The desire they have to win and the consistency that they are showing. With the schedule that we have in front of us and the situation that we have to deal with. I think what they’re doing is remarkable. We want to continue to improve and learn and every game is an opportunity to do that. So tonight as well against the actual champions, let’s not forget that. They are an incredible team and today we have to reflect on that. Tomorrow we go again because we have another game on Sunday.
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