Are Zinchenko and Saliba out for the season?
We have another session tomorrow before the Brighton game. We are trying to get players back for that day if they haven’t trained on the pitch but we will know more tomorrow. With William, it’s for sure that he’s not going to be fit for this game, and we doubt that he will be for the next game. But we want to keep the hope going and make sure we give ourselves the best chance to bring them back.
The situation with Alex is not confirmed then?
No.
Is this an opportunity for Tierney to step in and how has he been mentally this season?
The opportunity is for everybody, every game. They have to show they are up for it and then I will make the right or wrong decision with the lineup and giving players minutes they deserve. It’s very difficult to be fair to players in this sport because you pick 11 players to play and some to be subs and it’s not always right. We do it all the time with the best intentions.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta gives Oleksandr Zinchenko Arsenal injury update amid claims season was over
What have you made of Kiwior?
He’s been really impressive. Really composed, really calm, brilliant. Two very difficult opponents with a lot of individual talent to defend in many situations and he’s dealt with them in a great way.
What’s the contract latest with Ramsdale?
Nothing. The moment there is anything to announce with any individual, we will do that as a club like we always do. It’s not the moment to talk about that.
Talk about it credit to him?
Yeah, we are very happy with him and the way he’s developed, the way he’s performed. The trajectory he’s had in the last two seasons is remarkable. We are really happy with him and he’s a really important player for us.
Are you prepared to break your record transfer this summer?
I think the conversation has to be Brighton and the games that we have. We are playing to win the title. We want to be fully focused on that. All those things are distractions and we don’t want to be anywhere near that.
Did Newcastle give you a renewed hope that this is going down to the wire?
Every time you win, every time you play well, every time you feel you’re competing at the level required to win this league it gives you hope. It’s not in our hands but certainly we’re going to have to be at our best again on Sunday. If we win that game we’re going to be a little bit closer.
Is it fair to say Newcastle was one of your best moments as an Arsenal manager?
The feeling of the last game is the most recent one. It was special because they are top side, they’ve been extremely good at home and they’re building something powerful. We managed to go there, play our own way and win. Especially after what happened last year the meaning was a bit more than with any other game.
Will it be more challenging to play Brighton after the Everton loss?
For sure, because they are a really complicated side. The way they are playing and what Roberto and the coaching staff has done is remarkable. It’s just a joy to watch them play. What he’s brought to the league is a different idea and a different challenge for managers. This is what we want. If you want to be the best league you have to have the best managers, the best players and what he’s done with the team after all the foundations that Graham left as well, it’s incredible. It’s a very tough match.
How different will this game be to when you lost in the Carabao Cup earlier this season?
We beat them as well at their park. They were two very different games. If you look at the line ups there are 10 changes there. They were very similar games in certain moments but with different outcomes. It’s extremely tricky, to handle certain things they do with the way they play, but it’s the same with what we do.
How much respect do you have for how Brighton operate?
It’s incredible. They have a really clear vision. They’ve been ahead of other clubs in the way they have handled, the way they have made decisions, the way they have developed players, the way they have recruited talent, the way they have set up the club, the people and the persons that they recruit as well. Really impressive. They’ve done extremely well.
Do you sense from the players that you can challenge City to the end?
That’s what we’re here for. It starts on Sunday again. Three games to go. This is the crucial one. We want to elevate our hopes and our enthusiasm to keep going because there’s still everything to play for.
Are you looking at Brighton and trying to replicate what they’re doing?
No. You cannot replicate. The model Brighton has is great for Brighton. We cannot have the same model. We have to have a different model. I’m sure there are things that apply extremely well, but they have a different model, they have different demands, a different size of club and probably a different approach as well. It would be a mistake to try and do that in my opinion.
How proud are you with how the team has progressed regardless of the outcome?
I will answer that question at the end of the season. Now it’s how proud I am, the preparation and how mentally, physically and tactically we are ready for Sunday.
What have you made of Odegaard’s goalscoring and handling of the captaincy?
Great. That’s the demands that he puts on himself. It’s an area where he had huge margins to improve. He’s making great steps in the right direction to become a game winner. Which with the profile that he has in the team you have to do that. Then you need really good teammates around you which he has as you know. That helps as well.
How important has his leadership been?
In his own way. He has this character which everybody respects, that everybody admires, that everybody follows. He does it in his own way. He has a unique one because it’s his own one. We don’t want to take anything from that. We’re really happy that he represents the club in the way that he does and the team and every individual. He needs to continue to develop those skills, because the demands will keep increasing hopefully.
Has your team rediscovered confidence in the past couple of games and, if so, how?
By playing well. Being on top of the game and individually raising the level. That I think is something critical at this stage of the season. Once you’ve done that that obviously has a huge impact on the team performance. The team has been playing well, scoring goals and winning matches. So it’s a good mixture.
You spoke about the frustration about your team handling the situation that’s in front of them. Do you think they’re doing that better now?
We have to find with the coaches a way to help them more. That’s where the frustration comes from. What can we do better to facilitate what they’re going to be confronting at the weekend? Obviously cutting mistakes was huge and trying to understand why we were doing that. Once we’ve done that the results can come back again.
You said last week that this is the most difficult Premier League you’ve ever seen. Is that because of teams like Brighton?
Well the level of every organisation at every level is much better than before. The level of the players, the staff, the coaches. Every detail, every phase of play is dominated in the right way by the opponent. That makes the game fascinating because it goes your way or doesn’t based on small margins.
Have you had to remind every player in the squad that they could be called upon at any moment with the injuries?
We discussed that six months ago. To win a championship, to win a big tournament, you’ll need all your players. You’ll need to be able to deal with injuries, with unexpected things, with bad decisions and personal problems. The squad has to have the capacity to absorb those situations and they are coming unfortunately.
Have you put discussions about contract and futures on the back-burner while you’re still on for title?
Obviously where we are with each individual is probably different in terms of timing but the clarity is there. We have communicated to each of them what the intentions are and we are trying to get that done as quickly as possible but respecting and not losing any focus on what is the real deal right now.
Xhaka has been really important this season. How much do you not want to lose him?
As you can understand I'm not going to be replying to certain stories. I'm extremely happy with Granit, I think he is having an incredible season, probably the best season he has had at the club and we are really happy to have him.
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