Arteta on title race with Liverpool and Man City
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00:00 It's actually comparatively and statistically quite rare that you get a three horse race
00:07 at this stage of the season. I think the last time we had it at this stage was 2014 when
00:13 Jose Mourinho famously described Chelsea as being a little horse in the race. I think
00:18 they went on to win it. But how would you describe Arsenal's chances? Lots of people
00:24 are talking about you as the outsiders. Do you see it like that? We are third at the
00:29 moment and we are competing with, as I said before, two of the most successful clubs in
00:36 Europe in the last decade. They have broken every record that there was in the history
00:41 of this league. They have set the standards somewhere else that no one else has been capable
00:46 of doing. I think they merit that recognition and all we have to do is improve and try to
00:52 be better than them. Does that mean that you quite enjoy being underdogs in a way? Sometimes
00:59 easier to chase rather than be chased? What I enjoy is to be fighting for big trophies
01:07 in this period and we want to continue to do the same when it gets to May. That's the
01:10 objective. But you can apply the pressure this weekend? That's what we are going to
01:15 try to do. How important would that be? Very important, like winning at Sheffield and then
01:20 going to Manchester and beating Man City. This is not going to stop the demands and
01:25 the amount of points that are going to be needed. It's going to be so high and we know
01:29 that it's one step at a time.
01:30 There's an England squad selection coming up, there's the Euros in the summer. This
01:37 could be Aaron's last game of the season, should De Gea stay in goal. Is there a concern
01:44 that he tries too hard to impress but this is his one and final chance to show Gareth
01:50 Southgate England what he can do? Is there a chance that he's too emotional in this
01:54 game?
01:55 I don't know how Gareth is thinking but if I put that situation into my eyes and my perspective
02:01 and how I make a decision, I would judge Aaron not for what he's done in one day but what
02:07 he's done in the last two or three seasons. And the consistency that he showed, the quality
02:12 that he showed, it would give me no reason why to make another decision.
02:16 He's a very emotional keeper, he interacts with the crowd. Is that a concern as well
02:22 that he needs to keep his emotions in check?
02:25 A player has to be himself and one of the biggest qualities of Aaron is his character,
02:30 his charisma, his enthusiasm, his energy and he's contagious with that and you cannot
02:36 cut that. That's him.
02:39 At the time when Raya replaced Ramtdale in goal, we all questioned the decision and asked
02:47 why that's the case. The stats from then show that Raya has actually improved on the
02:52 goalkeeping stats for Arsenal compared to Ramtdale in the previous season. Do you feel
02:57 vindicated in some way by the fact that Raya has come in and kicked on and done so well
03:01 from goal?
03:02 We try to make every decision to try to play better, to improve the team and that's it.
03:09 That's the only objective and then the players are the ones to make those decisions right
03:14 or wrong.
03:15 What are the main attributes that are different between the two?
03:17 They're obviously quite different keepers.
03:19 I don't like to compare players.
03:21 In terms of goals, 21 goals in the last four league games. Before Christmas there was a
03:27 bit of a drought from your team. What's changed in terms of the goalscoring? Why can you suddenly
03:32 as a team put more goals in the net?
03:36 Because we're more efficient. In some of the games that we didn't score goals, we have
03:41 more shots and more touches in the box than many of the games that we have won with big
03:46 and marching. This is the nature of the game and the beauty of the game. Obviously now
03:51 we have as well that confidence and that energy that the ball is going to go in and that's
03:55 very difficult to put into a stat.
03:57 Mentally as well, is it something that's changed?
04:00 Probably, yes.
04:02 And finally, Miguel John.
04:04 I know you want good players in all positions but is there going to come a time where you
04:09 have to let Ramsdale go just because he's an international goalkeeper and he needs to
04:14 play?
04:15 There's not going to be any difference with any other position in the team. When we make
04:19 that call to allow somebody to go or a player that wants to go, that's something that we
04:25 will discuss if that moment arrives.
04:27 I suppose the flipside is it could be an injury to Nayan and he could play the rest of the
04:31 season. He's got to look at it like that as well.
04:34 You never know. He does really, really well and you decide something else.
04:39 OK guys, thanks very much.
04:40 Thank you.
04:41 >> Thank you.
04:42 (door opening)
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