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Tag: arteta

  • Why we lost against Wolves – Arteta

    Why we lost against Wolves – Arteta

    Mikel Arteta was left to chew on an astonishing sequence of events as Arsenal lost to Wolves after dominating so much of the game.

    Nicolas Pepe fired Arsenal ahead, and as VAR and the woodwork deprived Arsenal of a more commanding lead before David Luiz was sent off on the stroke of half-time.

    Wolves equalised from the resulting penalty and went on to win the match.

    “I think with the way we played in the first half, we should have been three or four goals up,” Arteta said in his post-match interview.

    “We really dominated the game, we created some big chances that we could not score. We hit the post, hit the bar, some big saves. Then the turning point was when David got sent off. It was 1-0 just before half-time, we go to 10 men, concede a goal, and then it’s a mountain to climb.”

    Bernd Leno’s sending off removed any lingering hopes of a fightback, but Arteta tried to lift his players after the match.

    “I told them that I’m so proud of them because of the way they reacted in the second half, the way they tried to come out and still tried to win the game, it was magnificent,” he said.

    “At half-time they were all really animated and encouraging each other to rebuild as a team and try to still win it. Even with nine players, the way they tried was incredible.”

  • Arsenal going nowhere with Willian transfer deal – Tony Adams

    Arsenal going nowhere with Willian transfer deal – Tony Adams

    Arsenal are going nowhere with deals such as the one that took Willian to Emirates Stadium, says Tony Adams.

    The North London club urged to favour home-grown stars over experienced additions with questionable commitment.

    Mikel Arteta moved to snap up a Brazil international forward when he hit the free agent pool in the summer of 2020.

    Willian had spent seven years starring for Chelsea, taking in 339 appearances for the Blues and helping them to two Premier League titles.

    Adams remains baffled as to why a deal was done, with the former Arsenal captain telling Stadium Astro: “Why have you brought him into the squad? If you have got him just to make up the numbers because he has got a bit of experience, where are you going with that?

    “I have cried out about the recruitment on more than one occasion. Edu is very inexperienced and they were heavily reliant on agents to get players into the club. All of a sudden you have got Willian, Cedric, all the same agent.

    “We have got so many kids coming through, don’t buy these players!

    “You spot areas of the squad that are weak. You don’t go and get Willian on a three-year contract, that is going nowhere. That is really poor sports directorship.

    “We all get ones wrong, but if you are building a club to win the league then you don’t fill up areas when you have good kids coming through.”

  • How Arteta, Ceballos convinced me to join Arsenal – Odegaard

    How Arteta, Ceballos convinced me to join Arsenal – Odegaard

    Martin Odegaard is delighted with his move to Arsenal.

    The Real Madrid midfielder has joined the Gunners on-loan to the end of the season.

    Discussing the influence of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on the move, Odegaard told the club’s website: “I spoke to him before coming here, of course.

    “That was very important for me and he seems like a top manager and I liked his ideas, the way he sees football and also the way he is.

    “He gave me a great feeling and that was important for me to come here. He was crucial.

    “I think every time you go to a new place, you want to make sure that it feels good and that there is a plan. But I think everything here just seems good.
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    “I like the club and I always liked the way that the club wants to play. Everything about the club and now how the manager wants to play, I think it’s a club that really suits me well. So I think it’s a good match.”

    The Norwegian’s Real Madrid team-mate, Dani Ceballos, is into the second successive loan spell in north London – and played his part in convincing the 22-year-old to join him.

    “Yes, [Dani] text me the other day and he had only good things to say about the club, the manager and everything,” Odegaard said.

    “That was also important for me and he was happy for me to come here, so that was a good thing for me, to know someone here and to hear from someone inside the club as well. It’s good.

    “It has been some hectic days but I’ve been talking to the club, to the manager and it seems like a great project and a great club,” he added.

    “I’m just so excited and when I had the chance to come here, I felt like it was a really good chance to take. So I’m really happy to be here.”

  • Southampton knock Arsenal out of FA Cup, Arteta reacts

    Southampton knock Arsenal out of FA Cup, Arteta reacts

    English FA Cup holders Arsenal exited the 2020/2021 competition on Saturday after a 1-0 fourth-round defeat at Southampton.

    Brazilian defender Gabriel conceded an own goal in the 24th minute after a shot from Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters deflected into the net from his boot.

    Southampton have now advanced to the fifth round, where they will travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers who on Friday knocked out sixth-tier side Chorley 1-0.

    Speaking after the game Arsenal Manager Arteta said he has no complaints but disappointed that the dream to retain the FA Cup came to an end today.

    He said: “No. I’m disappointed because we wanted to continue in the competition. We had a dream to do it again – like we did it last year – step-by-step, but that dream today is over.”

    Arteta also stated that he was disappointed with the way his team conceded.

    He said: “We know we shouldn’t be doing that and giving the lead to the opponent. At the same time, I cannot fault the effort of the players, how they tried, how they improved throughout the game, and tried to go for the goal in the second half with the way we did it. But it wasn’t enough and we conceded a goal that we shouldn’t. We created the chances but we didn’t hit the target.

  • Why I decided to let Ozil leave Arsenal – Arteta

    Why I decided to let Ozil leave Arsenal – Arteta

    Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has offered more on the decision to pay out Mesut Ozil’s contract.

    Ozil is set to join Fenerbahce as a free agent.

    Arteta said: “Yes, for many different reasons [it was a tough decision]… there is a history here what happened in the past few years, how things developed, how I think the team should evolve for the future, and his position at the club.

    “A player with such an importance that is not playing, that is not in the squad, it is a really difficult situation to sustain for both parties because the player wants to play and we cannot give him the minutes. Obviously that situation has to be resolved.

    “He is a great footballer, a really talented footballer, a player who has done a lot for the football club but at the moment I want to take the team in a different direction.

    “If we were to have more options, then maybe he was part of some plans – he was part of some plans at the start, and he wasn’t at the end.”

  • Diego Costa would add character to Arsenal squad – Gallas

    Diego Costa would add character to Arsenal squad – Gallas

    William Gallas suggests Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta should consider signing free agent Diego Costa after Atletico Madrid exit.

    Costa would add much-needed “character” to Arsenal’s squad if Arteta decided to make a move for the former Chelsea striker, says Gallas.

    Costa, who previously thrived in English football across three productive years at Stamford Bridge between 2014 and 2017, is now waiting on enticing offers.

    The former defender told PlayOJO of Costa: “He would bring character to the squad. He just wants to win games.

    “If his team-mate doesn’t play well, he will shout at them during the game and sometimes I think this is good. Sometimes, when I’m watching Arsenal, they don’t show any reaction when they concede, and someone like Costa will shout to the guys ‘Wake up!’, which can boost the players.

    “If he comes to Arsenal, he will cause a lot of problems for defenders but it might also mean Alexandre Lacazette going on the bench again.”

  • Arteta excited by Arsenal ‘special’ Partey return

    Arteta excited by Arsenal ‘special’ Partey return

    Mikel Arteta is excited to welcome back ‘special’ midfielder Thomas Partey to his Arsenal line-up.

    The Ghana midfielder has been restricted to just six matches for Arsenal and just one match in the last two months due to a thigh complaint.

    But Partey is available for Thursday’s clash with Crystal Palace and Arteta is looking forward to his return.

    “I think he’s got a different presence – he brings something different to the team,” Arteta said. “It’s not just about his talent, it’s not just about his physicality, it’s who he is as a person.

    “He makes players better around him and that’s a big, big quality.

    “It’s incredible that we are in January, we signed him in October and we have only played him [a handful of times].”

  • We need to help Pepe, not judge him – Arteta

    We need to help Pepe, not judge him – Arteta

    Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admits he needs to help Nicolas Pepe find his best form.

    After Pepe scored eight goals during his debut campaign, the hope was for the Ivory Coast international to kick on but he has struggled in the Premier League this season and was recently sent off at Leeds.

    “We need to help him to (succeed),” Arteta said. “In order to do that he needs minutes, he needs consistency in the team and when he has that, he needs to show he is capable of doing it.

    “Let’s see how the next few months develop.”

    He added: “I think it is hard to make judgement on some players that haven’t played many minutes over the last two or three weeks and to throw them in and expect them to be the best player on the pitch.

    “I don’t think it happens and Nico tried. He tried all the game and had some really good moments – moments where he could have scored two or three goals.

    “In a normal circumstance and with his ability in those positions, he puts the ball in the back of the net. He didn’t do it but I think his contribution overall was good.”

  • Saliba breaks silence on what Arteta told him

    Saliba breaks silence on what Arteta told him

    William Saliba has admitted that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told him he wasn’t ready for first team football, before the club decided to loan him to Nice.

    The centre-back joined the French side on loan for the remainder of the season, after failing to make a single Premier League appearance for the Gunners.

    Arteta has claimed that he was not ready for first-team football, but Saliba has argued that he should have been given a chance to prove himself.

    “The coach immediately told me that I was not ready. I would have at least liked to have had a chance to rediscover my rhythm,” he told the media on Friday.

    “My first six months were difficult, because I was coming from six months where I wasn’t able to train because I was at home and couldn’t train outside, couldn’t play.

    “I arrived there as they were finishing the league season, so I was training alone. As soon as they came back from holidays, we quickly had the first friendly matches where I lacked rhythm and was a bit insufficient physically.”

  • Arteta admits Balogun contract talks stalling

    Arteta admits Balogun contract talks stalling

    Folarin Balogun is set to let his contract run down at Arsenal.

    Balogun and his representatives have been talking to foreign clubs – he’s allowed to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club this month.

    As it stands, Balogun is unlikely to go out on loan this month amid interest from a number of clubs in the Sky Bet Championship with talks over a new Arsenal contract so far failing to reach an agreement.

    Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the club are doing all they can to keep him, telling reporters earlier today: “Well, you need three parties to make a deal. For sure the club wants to make a deal and the manager wants to make a deal; the player wants to stay; and I’m not sure about the agent.

    “I’m not saying he’s stopping it, but we need to find an agreement with him. We are negotiating in the end with an agent, and a player who wants to stay at the club, and we need to find an agreement. I’m telling you we are doing everything we can to keep him here.

    “And hopefully from the other side they are doing the same and they are defending the same interests – which is the player’s interests, which is to stay at the football club and successful with us.”