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Kaya Kaynak

Every word Mikel Arteta said on Bukayo Saka injury, Tierney vs Tomiyasu, Maitland-Niles future

Is it a good or bad time to be playing Southampton?

I don't have an idea. I'm not in the dressing room, I don't know their thoughts. We have experienced some really tough matches against them and I expect that again.

What does it mean for the fans to be behind you and does it bring extra pressure?

I think that brings joy and more willingness to continue our journey together and get better. When you see people happy, people attached to what we're doing and a club that is connected to what we're doing that's what we want. We need to continue to give them the right reasons to be our supporters and as excited as they are right now.

How do you assess the depth of your squad and your ability to maintain competitive with the congested schedule this season?

It will depend on a lot of factors. How players are performing, the injuries that you have, what happens in that World Cup - there are a lot questions there that we don't know the answer to. We are planning to have the right resources, but again it's never happened, we have to hold experience and try our best to get the right outcome.

READ MORE: Arsenal given huge injury boost as Mikel Arteta provides Saka and Martinelli update

How do you decide who to start at left back and how do you keep Tierney, Tomiyasu and Zinchenko all happy?

What we want is to keep them all competitive. It is impossible to keep them all happy because when one plays instead of the other he is happier than the one who's not playing. I think the three of them when they've played they've been really good and this is what we need. In different games we need different things and we adapt each game.

Is an unused sub remaining on the bench until full time a non negotiable after what happened this week with Ronaldo?

That depends on the club. I just look after my club where I have a lot to worry.

How's Saka?

I think he's fine. He was struggling a bit at the end but hopefully he'll be fine for Sunday.

How's Martinelli because you brought him on at the end?

Yeah he came on. He had a tough week. He wasn't feeling great in the week. But in the day before the game he was already feeling better so that's why we decided to play him a little bit.

How close is Zinchenko to returning?

I think he's close. He's getting better and better and he's progressing really well. He had a set back on an injury that he got at the start of the season which is a shame, but knowing Alex he will be back very soon.

So he won't be back this weekend?

I can't tell you.

So he's in contention?

He's always in contention.

What role have you played in Xhaka's turnaround?

I think everyone at the club has been involved and tried to help him. Sometimes try to guide him, sometimes try to encourage him, sometimes try to calm him down. He's a player with a big character that is very passionate about everything that he does but at the same time he's a really humble and passionate guy. He deserves everything he's getting.

Was he close to leaving when you arrived?

I think he was or at least he had some thoughts about that possibility in his head. We just tried to convince him to give himself and the club another opportunity.

What did you say?

I think he talked about it. I don't like to talk about prior conversations. I think he made it clear in the press about what happened and I'll leave it there.

Is it feasible to ask players to keep playing rather than rotating them more?

We are going to rotate but I cannot change 11 players in the line up every three days. It's crazy. We don't have enough numbers to change 11 every single game. We were with 15, 16 outfield players in the last four weeks so players are going to have to play. We want robust players and they're going to have to do that early in their careers.

What's your reaction to Gerrard being sacked?

Very sad for him. He's a player that I admired a lot and a person that I really respect. A manager who did extremely at Rangers and started really well at Villa, but this job is like this unfortunately. So from my side all the support because I'm sure he's having a difficult time.

Will he come back?

I'm sure he will yeah.

You lost this game to Southampton and it was crucial in the race for the top four. Does that mean there's a score to settle?

Well obviously it was an experience that was painful, especially with the consequences so we know. We know where the danger is with that team.

What's the plans for Arsenal in the World Cup?

We are planning, we have a few options that we are trying to close down. It will depend on how many players are selected there. But yeah we have a few plans.

Will you try to be close to Qatar so players knocked out can join?

It's a possibility yes.

Does Southampton's streakiness make them hard to prepare for?

Well it's difficult because we have a day to prepare the game. Obviously we have watched certain games. We haven't finalised the plans because we have a training session tomorrow. Against us they have played in various ways so we know what we can expect but we don't have certainty of how they're going to start the game.

How would you analyse the season so far?

Very positive. The winning percentage is extremely high and the way we are performing is really good. We're in the position we want to be.

You're top of the league, so are you the best team in the country at the moment?

It means that now we are there, but it's a long, long season and we have to deserve to be there when it comes to May.

Martin Odegaard won a Norwegian football award today. What are your thoughts on his progress?

Yeah very happy. He got that award when we were in Norway to play Bodo and he was very surprised with it. He needs to take it as a compliment because I think it's a big award and I'm really proud of him.

Does that make him a better player than Haaland. Who would you rather have?

I'm really happy to have Martin.

How's Ainsley Maitland-Niles getting on?

Yes obviously he won't be able to play against us. He hasn't been able to get that many minutes but hopefully he will be able to pick up the momentum because we need him to play the games.

Has he got a future at Arsenal?

The future that he has right now is his present. The most important thing for him is to get there and get back to the levels that he can.

What does he need to do to get back to those levels?

That's something now for his manager to probably answer because he's not with us. He needs to focus now on the present which is the most important thing for his future.

READ NEXT:

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