Mikel Arteta has faced the press at London Colney ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash with Fulham.
The Spaniard fielded questions on Arsenal's superb set-piece record after the Gunners scored two more goals from corners to beat Manchester United in midweek. In the aftermath of the game Arsenal were compared to Tony Pulis' Stoke City side, but Arteta seemed to take it as a badge of honour.
Arteta also fielded questions on his reunion with Emile Smith Rowe after his summer departure to Fulham. There was also an update on the fitness of Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori. Read exactly what he had to say below.
How’s Gabriel?
We have a few. It’s matchday minus two, so we have to modify a few players. We have another training session tomorrow so we will see how everyone is.
How would you rate his chances?
Until tomorrow’s training session it’s very difficult to say.
Calafiori?
The same.
Is his longer term?
Depends how they evolve in the next few days.
You’ve been called corner kings, what do you make of that?
We want to be the kings of everything. Set-pieces, the best in the world. High press, the best in the world. In open spaces, the best in the world. The best atmosphere in the stadium and the best at everything. Before it was we didn’t score enough, we were soft at defending, we didn’t have mentality, we were not physical enough, we didn’t beat big teams away from home for 17 years, 20 years, 22 years.
We want to be the best at everything. We want to have the best academy, be the best at player development, recruit the best players, best coaches. That’s the aim.
Just the kings then…
That’s the objective. If not we have to go and do something else.
How hard do Rice and Saka work on their corner taking
They work like in any other kind of finishing - constantly. We want to be a threat with everything that we do. We have to take every opportunity to make it count and be a threat.
How did Rice taking corners come about?
Adapt the players' qualities to the team needs and how we can exploit the best qualities we have in the squad in the best possible way. It’s all about the players. Everything on the pitch is towards that.
You’ve been compared to Stoke…
I understood very well what [Dimitar] Berbatov said. It was said in the best possible way. We take it as a big compliment.
Because Stoke were so good?
I think so yeah.
It’ll be Odegaard’s 100th game as captain if he plays. How good is he?
Massive player. He showed again in big matches what he can deliver and the spirit that he brings to the team, the quality that he has to play in the best possible way. We’re really happy with him.
Were you watching the Fulham game last night?
Yes.
Is it going to be a big challenge?
Yeah a big challenge. Last year we lost five points against them. I’ve always been very complimentary about them, about their coach and what they do. It’s always a really tough place to go.
They have a lot of ex-Arsenal players…
They’re doing very well. I’m very happy for them. Reiss is still one of our own but the rest as well. It will be great to see them.
Have you kept in touch with Smith Rowe?
Once they leave you have to leave them to do their own thing. You speak to them once in a while, but very grateful for what they did for us and wish them the best.
Difficult spell this time last year before Dubai – done things differently this year?
It is a little bit different the period we are in and where we are coming from but it is the demands of this league.
Every game is so difficult and at that time we lost a few games so It was even harder. We have to do things much better than last year, that is for sure.
Jurrien scored his first goal – how well has he progressed this year?
Really impressed. He is obviously coming from a long-term injury after his ACL. We knew the talent, the leadership, the skill that he has so he has been in great form, and he gives us something very different to any other full-back in the team. His impact has been tremendous.
What have you made of the attention on your coaching staff (Jover)?
It is great as we are very good at a lot of things. We take it as a compliment and as a fuel to be better. We are not perfect at all, even in that department defending set-pieces.
We conceded three chances and the three of them were coming from those situations, so there is a lot to improve and the margins are always there for us to explore and try to get better.
Do you think with the focus on set-pieces it could change the perception of them in football like nutrition with Wenger, playing out from the back with Pep?
No, I think it is something that changed ten or eleven years ago. Not only related set pieces but to a lot styles of play. A lot of big teams that have won a lot of important games and a lot of last-minute goals in this kind of scenario. You look at the Champions League, all the data is there. It hasn’t changed that much.
The importance has because the margins are smaller and the competition is harder. Probably people put more attention into it. We have to dominate everything.
Talks to tie down staff. How important they stay part of your team?
Yes, we all tried to do it at the same time. It is difficult because four or five people committing at the same time is not easy to do. I am so happy with them and I value them at the highest level. I want to continue together so hopefully it will be revolved very soon.
When did you realise yourself that set-pieces were undervalued and there was a need for a specialist?
Probably when I was a player because I understood at Everton how important they were and how difficult it was for the opposition. When I came here as well we had a period in some big matches where we suffered and were out. I went to City and immediately realised we had to something about it.
How were you and Jover introduced?
I had to do a lot of digging but in relation to that and the individual development it is an area that was not explored enough in my opinion. It was one of the evolutions the game was going to have and (we) try to always be ahead to maximise those opportunities.
What do you make of Odegaard's character?
Martin is unique, his character, his personality, the way he has been raised and educated is at the highest level and he is everything that we want to have to represent our team in the best possible way.
What did you agree to work on with Martin?
There are a few targets we had at the start of the season which I won’t share here. But all of the players have that and he is in the right direction.
Modern-day trailblazer on free kicks?
No. Not at all. There have been some exceptional teams on that and we just want to get better. Whatever we do, I repeat myself, it is not good enough. We can still improve a lot. Last year we scored more goals than ever before in the history of the club. We can do things better, the defence, the environment, everything we are trying to improve on.
Does he expect his rivals to follow by putting as much emphasis on corners…
The success in the end is if we win, what we want to win. That is the success. If that (corners) allows you to win a game great, another game great, but there are a lot of elements. To do what we did against Manchester United, to lead them to do what they did, big credit to the team. It has never happened to the history of Manchester United. So, I have to put a lot of emphasis on what a lot of players did for that.
