Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reacts to drawing against Brentford and injury ahead of Real Madrid
12/04/2025
Emirates Stadium, London, UK
12/04/2025
Emirates Stadium, London, UK
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00:00You had the chance to win that game, did you feel your team quite had the intensity
00:07to get over the line, especially after the equaliser?
00:10Well, after the equaliser, especially because we played with ten men, a lot.
00:14But even with ten men, I think we tried and we had two quite clear situations
00:19to finish the action better.
00:20I think we have to be critical with ourselves, especially the way we concede the goal.
00:24Against Brentford, you know what happens, you have a free kick,
00:27the goal is going to put it there, from there trying to get a throw-in,
00:30from there trying to get a corner, and then once you clear the ball,
00:33it's a second-ball game.
00:34In that second-ball game, we can defend the space close to the taker well enough,
00:38and then it's a lottery because they do that really well and it's our fault.
00:43Were you pre-planned when you were going to make your substitutions today
00:48because of load management, or were you reacting to the flow of the game?
00:54No, we had an idea because we know some players that we picked to end the starting line-up
00:58that they could not be able to finish the game,
01:00so we had two eyes open with that one.
01:03We didn't expect the issue with Thomas that we had to take him through,
01:07take him out, sorry, and then for sure we didn't expect what happened with Jorginho,
01:12that we ended up playing with ten men.
01:14Hi, Michael.
01:16Franklin seems to be playing in quite an advanced position today.
01:19He scored two goals in the league this season.
01:22Half of them two pre-kicks against Real Madrid,
01:24maybe what's the appetite for more from an attacking perspective?
01:28Yes, for sure.
01:29Every time you score a goal after you have the feeling,
01:31the next one you can score again.
01:33I think he had an unbelievable action as well in the goal we scored today,
01:36carrying the ball in open space to the right moment to release Thomas,
01:41and even one against the situation with the keeper,
01:44and I think he had a really strong performance again.
01:46He said about playing with ten men,
01:48what did you mean by that, playing with ten men across the game?
01:52That we had to play with ten men when Jorginho went out.
01:55James from CBS.
01:57James, CBS, and then we'll go to...
02:00Sorry, just picking up on Declan there and his performance,
02:06the running power he showed, was he still carrying that foot injury
02:09because of the sheer strength he showed across that game?
02:12No, he was fine yesterday.
02:13He trained with normality, wasn't feeling any pain,
02:16that's why we put him from the start.
02:19Mikel, just two things.
02:21Did you feel that what lies immediately ahead in Madrid
02:25was in the atmosphere today?
02:27I'm not saying in your own players' minds, but...
02:29I don't know, the atmosphere was different to Tuesday, that's for sure.
02:34I don't know if he was playing in the bag of the crowd.
02:37For us, as professionals, we know the importance of that.
02:40Today, what we wanted to do was increase the probability of us
02:43really challenging for what we are looking for in the Premier League.
02:46And with that result, obviously, it's more unlikely to happen.
02:50And just in terms of your own players, was it in their minds, can I ask?
02:54No, I think the players know that when you come to the Premier League
02:57and the opposition that we played today, how it's always going to be
03:00and what it requires and requires your best every time to win.
03:04And just quickly, the tackle on Martinelli in the first half,
03:06obviously we saw your reaction to that.
03:08Yeah, yeah.
03:09I mean, can you just talk a little bit about that, please?
03:12I think my reaction tells everything.
03:14Because it's the season of Champions League now, is it?
03:17As simple as that.
03:18I know mathematically you can win the Premier League, but it feels unlikely...
03:22Yeah, we still see games to play in the Premier League,
03:24which are going to be really important, but for sure now,
03:27it's all about Wednesday.
03:29What was Parton's injury?
03:32Sorry?
03:33What was Thomas Parton's injury?
03:34Yeah, he felt something, so we didn't want to take any risks.
03:37What was it?
03:38Something.
03:43Is the initial diagnosis of Thomas that you think will be OK for Wednesday?
03:47We don't know, I haven't spoken to the doctors yet,
03:49so they will check in now and see how he is.
03:51Just ask with Ben, obviously, in this year training,
03:53are you hoping he'll be OK for them?
03:55Again, we don't know,
03:56so he could not be in condition to be in the squad today and be selected,
04:01so we have a few days, but we have to wait and see.
04:04Is Jorginho's ribs or something?
04:05It looks like it, so I don't exactly know,
04:07but he had problems with breathing, so he could not carry on.
04:10OK, last couple.
04:11Athletic.
04:12Hi, Mikel.
04:13Sorry for another undepthment,
04:14but I was just going to ask,
04:15with that running power that James mentioned,
04:18obviously yesterday you said he had so many different tools
04:21to bring Arsenal up to the points.
04:23Is that one where, I guess,
04:26because you're not getting as many open situations as you did for that goal,
04:30you're not seeing as often,
04:31is there another reason why you might want to see it a bit more?
04:36Yeah, it depends on the opposition behaviour.
04:39I think the first time we have a few options.
04:41When we break the press,
04:43when they're just more man-orientated
04:45and they want to take more risk to open those spaces
04:48and certainly, as I said, this is a clear situation
04:51because there's a lot of space to run.
04:53Would there be players who you might reference as examples with him
05:00or is it just focusing about him as an individual?
05:04Well, he can always learn about best midfielders,
05:07the timing of their arrivals
05:08and how they have scored the goals,
05:09but I think he can focus on himself.
05:12And finally, Phil, Pia.
05:13You've obviously been so close to winning the league
05:15over the last couple of years.
05:16The gap by the end of tomorrow could be 13 points with six players.
05:19How frustrating is that for you?
05:21Do you think it's going to be difficult to bring the players up?
05:24Yeah, it is difficult,
05:26because obviously there are a lot of reasons why we are with that distance
05:29and the amount of things that we have to deal with.
05:34And still, we are where we are.
05:37But yeah, we want to be higher, that's for sure.
05:39OK, guys, thanks very much.