Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta defends his VAR comments and previews UEFA Champions League clash with Sevilla alongside defender Takehiro Tomiyasu
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00:00 Good morning, everyone. If there are any Spanish journalists wanting to ask Spanish questions,
00:11 we'll do that after. And there is headphones for interpretation. I know a few of you got
00:17 them. We don't need a floor mic now, definitely. It's okay. Just ask questions from the -- we've
00:21 got mics in the room, Dalmish. We've got mics in the room. If the camera's ready at the
00:24 back, just a bit of housekeeping. We'll go with the live section first, and then we'll
00:27 go 10.30 tonight, and then a couple of questions for 12 o'clock tomorrow. So if we're ready
00:31 at the back, we'll kick off with Dalmish from Sky Sports.
00:34 Hi, good morning. Big game against Sevilla. Potentially you could qualify for the knockout
00:41 stages. Could you just give us early team news, particularly your captain, Martin Odegaard,
00:46 and Gabriel Jesus, who's just been called up to the Brazil squad?
00:50 Gabi won't be fit with Martin. He's still uncertain. The rest, no news so far.
00:57 It's been a few days since what happened happened at Newcastle United. You were very emotional,
01:04 clearly emotional after the game. When you reflect on what you said, and the club putting
01:11 out that statement the day after as well, when you reflect, would you have done anything
01:16 differently?
01:18 It is my duty to stand in front of you, to stand in front of the cameras, and give a
01:23 very clear and honest assessment of what happened in the game. This is what I did, reflect very
01:29 openly how I felt that the team played, and how the game was conditioned by these results
01:37 with the decisions that were made. It's the duty. My duty is to be defending my players,
01:43 supporting my players, supporting my club, defending my people in the best possible way.
01:48 This is what I'm going to do time after time. I do it the way I feel, with the evidence,
01:54 and being as clear as possible. I always do it. When we play really need to say that,
01:58 when we have lost, to take my responsibility, the first one me, to do it. It's the way that
02:05 I am, and I have to defend my club.
02:07 Was your emotion and your anger simply to do with that goal, or was it a build-up of
02:22 other decisions that you may feel have gone against you, and if so, will you be taking
02:27 this up with the PGMOL?
02:29 Yes, some things don't happen overnight. When I was that clear, and when I had all
02:37 the evidence to stand for the words that I used in the media, it's because I feel strongly
02:43 about them. One thing I say externally, then as well internally to my players, is how can
02:48 we play better, how can we be more dominant, how can we do the game the way we want, so
02:52 give no chance to the opponents. But one thing is my duty towards you guys, and then my duty
02:57 as a coach to do what we have to do. This is exactly what I have done. Nothing special,
03:02 nothing different, and I would do it, and the club would do it again and again, until
03:07 this is right. Until this is right as well, and what we have to do on the pitch to play
03:11 better and win more football games. That's it.
03:13 Just a final one for me, just specifically on that goal. You were asked in the post-match
03:19 interview and in the news conference about why you think it was disallowed, and you said
03:23 there was a series of events, there were three VAR checks. Can you give us a little bit more
03:27 clarity now, having reflected in the last few days, why you think that goal should have
03:32 been disallowed? Was there one particular incident?
03:34 Now we talk about Sevilla and the beautiful game that we have to play tomorrow.
03:38 Talking about the Sevilla game tomorrow, how important is it that you get a win and you
03:46 get through as quickly as possible with games to spare so you can maybe rest a few games?
03:50 The moment you have a chance in football to put it to bed, do it. We're going to have
03:55 to do a lot of things right tomorrow and then the right to win it against a really good
03:59 team with enormous experience in this competition. We have to prove it tomorrow in front of our
04:05 people how excited we are to play that game and what it means for us.
04:09 I don't know if you saw last night's game, after a zone, Postacog, who said that referees
04:16 decision is final. You said about a month ago that mistakes happen, you need to understand
04:26 that mistakes happen. What is your relation to that statement you made a month ago after
04:33 what happened on Saturday?
04:34 I stand for the same words, that mistakes are part of football in any other way and
04:39 we are here to constructively improve the game in everything that we can. This is what we
04:44 have been doing as a club, me individually with my duty as a manager in the managers
04:48 meeting, to give our opinion, our voices and to raise it in the most constructive ways
04:53 to get a better game. That's all, that's the only thing we are looking at collectively
04:57 to achieve for everybody.
04:59 We spoke in press conference on Fridays about your passion on the touchline, you mentioned
05:05 a couple of weeks ago you've already got three yellow cards and two more you end up
05:10 with a suspension. In terms of that, how does this help your control of your behaviour on
05:16 the sidelines when you know that you understand that sometimes there will be a VAR check that
05:21 goes against you?
05:22 The easy answer, your colleague just mentioned how emotional I was after the game and how
05:26 I acted on the touchline. I didn't get a yellow, I didn't get a warning from the referee,
05:30 so I stayed focused on the game, trying to affect the game in the best possible way for
05:35 my players, that's it.
05:36 Martin has just been called up for Norway, who play two games that don't really count
05:47 for them. What would be your message to the Norway manager regarding his injury situation?
05:55 Nothing, Martin loves to play for his country and every time he's been called up and he
06:00 was fit, he's been there and he will be there if that's the case.
06:06 You played ten minutes against West Ham, some people were a bit surprised with the timing
06:10 because you were three nil down and then you didn't play in the weekend, what was the thinking
06:14 behind that?
06:15 It's no relation with what he had and what happened the day before the game against Newcastle,
06:22 they are two different topics and things.
06:27 Can you use what happened at the weekend to galvanise the players going into the game
06:33 tomorrow night? What's the feeling in the group?
06:35 Yes, especially the performance of the team and watching back the two games we played
06:40 last year when we won 0-2 and the one that we lost 1-0, we were much better three days
06:46 ago than a year ago. But much, much better, we deserved much more in that game. But this
06:51 is the beauty of this game, so we have to build a lot of things that we did right against
06:55 Newcastle, improve certain things especially in the final set to be more of a threat. But
06:59 for the rest, the way the team played, the way we competed, it was extraordinary.
07:03 What have you made of the reaction to the club's statement since it's come out? People
07:09 like Gary Neville said it's dangerous for the club to release a statement like that.
07:13 Again, we have a duty to express how we feel with all the evidence that we have and the
07:18 history of what happened. I think we have to really stand for our people, our values
07:25 and who we are. When the club has done it, it's done it in a very specific moment for
07:29 the right reasons and it shows as well the unity and understanding that is within the
07:35 club to position ourselves in a really clear and honest way. I think that's our duty as
07:42 a club.
07:45 You weren't the first, you definitely won't be the last manager to criticise a referee's
07:50 performance after a game.
07:51 Thank you.
07:52 When the club made the statement, especially a club the size of Arsenal, does it not sometimes
07:59 legitimise that small minority that believe that they can abuse referees because of their
08:05 performances?
08:06 No, I think the support that we have given to everybody and I continue to, that's not
08:11 going to change. I'm not going to be there, I'm not going to talk to anybody, I'm not
08:15 going to be in any meeting trying to reinforce everything. We all want the same, this is
08:19 not the topic. We all want the same but we have to understand that we have to be there.
08:24 If you guys and everybody wants to be in football, we are there and we get our opinion. We have
08:28 to get our opinion in an honest way and clear. Don't talk about other things, be clear and
08:33 honest. Very respectful but clean and honest. And value what we have and make sure that
08:37 we continue evolving the game the way we want. That's it.
08:41 I suppose it's quite a hard answer but how do you evolve the game? How do we stop these
08:45 errors happening?
08:46 Errors are part of an evolution. The trajectory is never going to be like this. There are
08:51 always bumps along the road and maybe these things are very necessary to happen to improve
08:56 the game in the right way. That's it. But we have to talk loudly. You have a problem
09:01 and you put it there in your drawer. The problem is in the drawer and it's going to stink at
09:05 some moment. If we have a problem, let's talk about it, let's try to improve it and let's
09:09 try to, in a very constructive way, try to improve it. That's it. That's what we are
09:13 trying to do and nothing else.
09:15 Have you been playing in Europe this season?
09:31 Yes, I think so. Obviously we had two very good games. The one in Lens, especially the
09:37 second half, that we were struggling in the first 20-25 minutes of the second half. But
09:41 overall, yes. And as well the team, the way the team has not only performed but I think
09:47 the presence of the team, the maturity they have shown in big games like this has been
09:52 really good. It's about doing it consistently and tomorrow we're going to have to add all
09:56 of those things very, very well.
09:59 What did you see from Jorginho?
10:09 Hopefully the same as all the managers that have been playing and have won European Champions
10:15 League and Champions League. He's an incredible player, he's a leader, he's a very intelligent
10:21 player for us and he has the quality to make the team better. That's it.
10:27 When everyone has the same objective to evolve the game, does that get undermined sometimes
10:36 by the discussion being messed up with tribalism? People only feeling that they should speak
10:45 when it goes against them?
10:47 No, because I think I have defended many, many situations. And the last thing, you have
10:54 never heard me in a press conference use an excuse to talk about a result. There's nothing
11:00 to do about it. First of all, look inside the house, all the things that we can do better.
11:05 And then we can talk externally, 'OK, is there anything that can affect what we are
11:09 actually doing?' But first look inside and I'm the first one to look in the mirror.
11:20 Have you had anything from the PGRL or any contact from Howard?
11:25 Me directly? No.
11:28 The club?
11:29 The club I'm sure they've been in touch and it's probably more up to them to discuss that topic.
11:34 Do you think you've got support from other managers from speaking out so strongly to
11:41 express your views? Just because of the standard of the officialdom?
11:47 Yes, if that doesn't affect the competition with another team, another manager, probably
11:51 yes. Because when we are in those meetings and we are all together, we all share the
11:56 same feeling, that's for sure.
11:57 Do you think there's better official and refereeing standards within the Champions League as
12:03 compared to the Premier League? If you watch the Champions League week in, week out, you
12:06 don't see so many delays, you don't see so many errors?
12:09 I don't think that's for me to say. I think everybody tries their best and that's it.
12:14 Sometimes the outcome is better, sometimes worse.
12:17 Do you think the sense of injustice that you all felt at Newcastle can really bond you
12:28 internally as a squad, as a club?
12:30 Well, there is a really bond team, there is a really bond club at the moment. But certainly
12:38 it shows the unity, the way we acted, to express externally how we feel. And we have to do
12:45 that. And if we want to transmit what we want to do, you have to speak loud and clear and
12:50 put yourself in the line when it's needed to. And this is what we've done.
12:53 I know you've already been asked this and you've actually dodged this question, but
12:58 I do think it's worth asking again if you can explain what specifically you were unhappy
13:03 about with the goal?
13:04 I can say a bit and I can explain you anything.
13:08 Can I just ask you about Gaby Jesus? She's been called up by Brazil which seems quite
13:16 strange, bearing in mind she's injured. Has that come as a surprise to you?
13:20 Well, I don't know. The nationalities have the duty to produce the list. Sometimes there
13:25 is uncertainty on the timescale of each player's availability in the following weeks and that's
13:31 it. I think it's a great thing. I think it's a really positive thing that he's getting
13:34 called up again. It will depend whether he's fit or not, whether he can travel or not.
13:39 But presumably you think he'll be injured for it?
13:41 We don't know yet. So probably that's why that's in the air. But it's a really simple
13:47 situation to resolve.
13:48 In the game against Seville, he was outstanding. He was putting the difference between the
13:52 two teams. How do you make up for that loss in this game tomorrow?
13:57 Well, obviously he's been out for a while. In the start of the season, I think in the
14:00 Premier League he only had one start and he's one of our top players. The players that can
14:05 produce those magic moments are necessary to consistently win. But we have to adapt.
14:11 We haven't got it tomorrow.
14:12 We heard from Kevin Jezoos at the start of the Champions League run that a lot of the
14:20 young players have been playing the theme tune in the dressing room and stuff, that
14:23 belief of playing in the new competition. How do you feel those young players have now
14:27 adapted to playing in such a big tournament?
14:30 Well, obviously the excitement and the enthusiasm to play the competition is driving a lot of
14:36 that energy and passion that you see in those games. This is great. But as well, I think
14:40 they've shown a lot of maturity to manage the games in certain moments when it's very
14:45 necessary in Europe. So far we've done it really well.
14:48 Obviously, last season in the Europa League there was perhaps more opportunity to rotate
14:52 players. You want two competitive options in most of the positions, if not all the positions.
14:56 But that's not always easy to rotate in the Champions League because of the demands of
15:00 the competition. How sustainable is it with the group when you've got players like Reo
15:03 Ramsdale and Trossard Martinelli, for instance?
15:05 Well, I think the squad availability is really important to allow you to do those changes.
15:11 At the moment we have five or six injuries and then obviously the capacity to rotate
15:16 in certain moments, even in the cups, is more limited. So, when you have 22 outfield players
15:22 fit and available, it's easier. At the moment it's a bit trickier.
15:26 Gary from the Times.
15:27 You said you have the managers' meetings and everyone agrees. Do you have a mechanism
15:32 in the season for the managers to talk together? Is there something coming up where you have
15:37 a discussion about managers where you then can have that open discussion?
15:41 Yes, we have some opportunities to do so. They are limited because of the time and the
15:46 schedules that everybody is at. But it's our duty to try to do everything that we can to
15:50 support, give our voices and opinions very clearly and to try to get our feelings across
15:57 and try to improve them.
15:58 When is the next one?
16:00 I don't know. I don't know when the next one is.
16:04 Isan from the Daily Mail.
16:06 Hi, Moukhal. As a manager, what was it like to have the club straight away come out with
16:10 a statement to back you? And what did you make of the statement's wording? It was very
16:13 strong and very direct in what it was trying to do for us.
16:17 I think it was great from my point of view. I didn't expect it. I said it's my duty to
16:23 stand in front of you guys and give what I think. And then the club has got many options
16:28 and they decided to do that one. I really appreciate it. I think the players did, everybody
16:33 at the club did. And it showed again that we are one and that we are ready for anything
16:40 that comes across to fight it in the best possible way.
16:43 Going back to Andri's speech after the game the other day, one of the lines he says is
16:49 we have to respect the officials. What was your reaction or thoughts on that particular
16:53 line in his speech?
16:55 I fully agree that we have to respect them and this is what we try to do. To respect
17:01 them as well, we have to stand there like I did in the touchline the other day and to
17:06 respect them as well. We have to have respect, you have to have good trust and the capacity
17:11 to have a conversation and opinions. That's where respect is built.
17:15 Finally we'll go to Simon from the London Evening Standard.
17:18 Just with the attack this season, how difficult has it been for you as coach to try and construct
17:25 that when you've had Gabby Jay out for a bit, Marta Nelly out for a bit, Saka now Marta.
17:29 Just how tough are the challenges you've experienced as a coach?
17:32 It's what it is obviously. It changes things, we have to alter things. The team doesn't
17:38 have the same chemistry, they don't have the same amount of consistency and minutes in
17:44 their bell zoom to find that and that's really important. But listen, we have some great
17:49 players to give us back-up and opportunities and they have shown how good they are.
17:54 Just on the squad, it's shown a lot during your time that when it has difficult moments,
17:59 adversity, pain, that they can use that as fuel. Do you hope that's the case with last
18:03 week obviously going out of the cup, losing at Newcastle, but going into two games this
18:07 week they can use last week as motivation?
18:09 This is what we have to show, that's how much we want it, that you learn from those situations,
18:15 that they are two very different games to analyse. You don't put one and one together
18:20 to make it to the next one. But yeah, learnt a lot from there and understand the difficulty
18:27 of each match, how we have to approach it to play in the way we want and win them.
18:32 Thanks everyone.
18:33 Thank you.
18:34 Thank you.
18:36 Thank you.
18:38 Thank you.
18:40 Thank you.
18:42 Thank you.
18:43 You're in the middle.
18:48 Yeah, you can put it there. There's one already there as well.
18:52 Oh, yours is better.
18:54 Yeah.
18:55 Also, if you need it, if there's any to balance, you can put those on.
19:00 Do you know Sway Italian?
19:04 You never know.
19:07 I'm going to try and win Zetonia.
19:09 [Laughs]
19:10 Cool. Thank you guys. We'll kick off with Darmesh from Sky and then just hands up if you have any questions.
19:20 Good afternoon, Takahiro. How are you doing? Can I just first of all get your reaction from Saturday when that goal was given?
19:31 What was going through your mind and the players' minds?
19:35 About the goal, I don't want to say a lot of things because it's their decision and it's a football.
19:43 I think Mikkel spoke about it, so I'm not saying anything.
19:52 Could you then tell us what the mood is like in the dressing room after Saturday?
19:56 Has that given the players extra motivation because of what happened?
20:03 Yeah, yes. Obviously, it was not the best atmosphere because we lost the game against them.
20:10 But, you know, as you said, the goal was not…
20:17 I can't say it was an acceptable decision.
20:29 That's why we were more emotional.
20:33 Obviously, when we lost the game, we were disappointed.
20:42 It's always not the best feeling to lose a game.
20:53 Is it good that you've got a game so quickly that you can almost take it out on Sevilla now?
21:00 Yeah, I think so. Now we are fully focused on tomorrow's game.
21:04 And also, we need to bounce back from Saturday's game.
21:10 In terms of tomorrow's game, you can actually qualify for the next stage.
21:20 There are two games to go. And also, the fact that this is your first crack at the Champions League with Arsenal.
21:26 It's a massive opportunity for us to qualify for the next stage.
21:32 It's a massive game for us. We are trying to get three points against them.
21:38 How much more difficult has it been this season concentrating on the Premier League?
21:44 We did again last season in that. With now the fact that you've got Europe every other midweek.
21:50 Well, obviously, it's not an easy one to play in the Champions League and the Premier League.
22:03 And we've got a couple of games as well. But we've got depth more than last season.
22:12 So, we just need to be fit and be available as much as we can.
22:19 Because already we've lost some players with injuries.
22:25 So, for me, I need to be fit and be available as much as I can.
22:32 On VAR, not necessarily about Saturday, just in general. From a player's perspective,
22:38 we saw last night, I don't know if you saw the game between Chelsea and Spurs.
22:42 VAR checks are taking longer and longer. Players are just standing around.
22:47 I was at a Bournemouth game two weeks ago. Five minutes for a VAR check.
22:51 From a player's perspective, is it improving the game?
22:57 I don't know, to be honest. But it's better not to say a lot of things.
23:03 Because I'm a player.
23:07 Because my job is not to speak in front of you guys. My job is to play and perform on the pitch.
23:14 So, yeah, that's it.
23:17 Thanks, Booth. Art?
23:20 When we spoke to Mikel about you, he said he's been really impressed by your education.
23:27 Being able to play off both feet and your defensive principles, I think he said.
23:31 I was just wondering if you could explain a little bit about that education
23:36 and how you've been able to develop those skills.
23:39 Well, to be honest, I didn't train to be both feet.
23:48 When I was a kid, when I had the ball on my right foot, I played with my right foot.
23:54 And if it was on the left foot, I played with the left foot.
23:57 So I didn't train a lot to be both feet.
24:01 I can't explain.
24:06 When you're playing right back and left back, centre-back sometimes,
24:16 do you find it quite easy to switch between those positions and form different relationships?
24:21 Well, it's not easy.
24:27 And obviously, my role changes each game.
24:32 Because the most important thing is how to behave on the pitch,
24:43 how much you want to win the game, how much you want to win your opponent.
24:47 So this one doesn't change.
24:50 So my job is to give 100% on the pitch.
24:54 It doesn't matter which position I play.
25:01 When we look at your journey, I think there was a point when you were growing up
25:06 where you were at a Barcelona soccer school.
25:08 Yeah, in Japan.
25:11 I was just wondering, did that have a big impact on your growth at the time as a footballer?
25:17 Or was it just one of those things that just happened?
25:20 Well, I'm not sure it was a big thing for me.
25:29 Because I was 10 and I went there for two years or something.
25:41 So I went there just two years.
25:43 So I'm not sure it was a big thing or not.
25:47 But obviously, I learned a lot of things, not only from Barcelona school,
25:55 also from the Abispa Academy.
25:59 Davide?
26:07 My question is about Jorginho.
26:10 How important is it to have a player with his experience on the field with you guys in big games?
26:16 Obviously, he has a big experience and he gives us a lot of things on the pitch
26:27 and also out of the pitch as well.
26:29 He's one of the best examples for us.
26:36 So yeah, I learned a lot of things from him.
26:41 The other one is on the Champions League in general.
26:44 This is the competition everybody wants to play.
26:46 What is the Champions League for you and how is it actually playing?
26:50 Obviously, to play in the Champions League was one of my biggest dreams.
27:00 So I'm happy to play in the Champions League.
27:05 So I just want to play on the pitch as much as I can.
27:11 First of all, congratulations on being named Arsenal Player of the Month.
27:19 Since joining the club, you struggle a lot with injuries.
27:22 Do you feel that your injuries are truly behind you now and you can really begin to excel at Arsenal?
27:28 I hope so.
27:32 Yeah, I'm feeling very well right now.
27:34 Obviously, as you said, I struggle with injuries, especially last season.
27:41 I can say that last season was my toughest season in my career.
27:48 But I knew that I can learn a lot of things from the difficult period
27:55 and I knew that everyone has a difficult period.
27:59 So, yeah.
28:02 Hi, Tomek.
28:05 You said that it's difficult to switch between the positions and it's a challenge.
28:10 I'm curious, when you joined Arsenal, did Arteta tell you that he was going to expect you to play in lots of different roles?
28:17 No.
28:19 So what did he say? Was this right back when he sold you at the time?
28:22 Yeah, right back.
28:25 But I moved here on the last day of the market, so I didn't have a chance to speak with Arsenal.
28:33 Obviously, Japanese football in England is growing a lot.
28:40 We've seen Mitoma at Brighton do really, really well.
28:43 We've seen Endo join Liverpool as well.
28:46 What do you put down this surge of Japanese talent moving to England?
28:50 Premier League is the best league in the world, I think.
29:00 And every Japanese player wants to play in the Premier League.
29:06 And now I'm playing in the Premier League, Mitoma and Endo as well.
29:13 But there are a lot of Japanese players in Germany and also around Europe.
29:22 And they want to come and play in the Premier League.
29:27 And it's a good thing for the Japanese players and for the national team as well.
29:34 Because we are winning six games in a row with the national team.
29:41 So it's a good thing for us.
29:44 Have you ever spoken to Mikel about a recommendation of someone you might want to sign?
29:50 No. Maybe last season? No, first season.
29:57 I don't want to say it directly.
30:04 Brilliant. Thank you guys. It's all done.
30:10 Thank you.
30:11 Thank you.
30:12 [BLANK_AUDIO]