In the UEFA Champions League, Arsenal face Club Brugge away from home. Ahead of the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attended a press conference.
Reporter: It’s been a few days since the team’s 18-match unbeaten run was ended on Saturday. What are your thoughts on that?
Arteta: Yes, the defeat was a bit unexpected, especially since we hadn’t lost many games before. But I see it as an opportunity to reflect and reset our mindset, allowing us to review our work.
First of all, it hurt to see the players collapsing on the pitch with disappointment after the game, because I know how much effort they’ve put in and how much they crave victory.
Moments like this are really tough, but they also reflect our team’s character and pursuit of goals. This will help us become stronger, learn lessons, and cherish everything we’re doing now.
After all, we faced many difficulties at the start of the season, and currently our rankings in the Champions League and Premier League are in line with expectations. This also makes us understand that all achievements need to be earned day after day, and the gap between winning and losing is often minimal.
Although the short interval between the two games is not ideal due to recovery and injury issues, from another perspective, it also allows us to get back on the winning track as soon as possible.
Reporter: So can we say that, especially in competitions like the
Champions League, this can help you continue the good momentum from the first five games? Tomorrow’s opponents have an excellent home record, and they’ve appointed a new manager who often brings new vitality and tactics. Are you prepared for this?
Arteta: Of course. We are eager to continue our excellent performance in the first five Champions League games. Tomorrow’s match will definitely be very difficult. The opponents have a new head coach, who will always inject new energy and bring new tactical concepts to the team, and we have made full preparations for this.
Tomorrow we must prove again that we are among the top teams, and we need to perform better than the opponents to win.
Reporter: There are reports of squad changes due to injuries. Can you elaborate on the situation?
Arteta: Sure. First of all, unfortunately, Max had to leave the field injured in last weekend’s game. After checks, he will be out for four weeks.
Then there’s Gabriel’s situation. We originally expected him to return to team training at the end of December, but he worked tirelessly on his recovery every day and kept telling everyone he could come back early – and he did. Thanks to his own efforts and the careful care of the medical team over the past few months, we have the opportunity to make lineup adjustments.
On one hand, there’s the disappointment of Max’s injury, and on the other, the joy of Gabriel being able to play with us in the Champions League. It’s a complex feeling.
Finally, to update on the players’ situation in December: Declan is ill – he got quite sick after the game, so he didn’t travel with the team; Saliba is still not fully fit; Trossard has a new knock on his old injury. I don’t expect his absence to be too long, but unfortunately he can’t join the team this time.
Reporter: What do you think about the opponent’s recent coaching change? Did it surprise you, and did it affect your preparations?
Arteta: We had already started studying the opponents’ past games, analyzing their former coach’s coaching style and tactical system, including their recent performances in the Champions League and domestic league. But we suddenly learned they had appointed a new manager in the afternoon. This is not the first time we’ve encountered such a situation, so we had to adjust our preparation plans in a timely manner.
We began researching the new coach’s past coaching experience and predicting possible tactical changes, especially in formation and starting lineup. However, the core is still to focus on ourselves, clarifying the key aspects we need to do well to outperform the opponents and win the game.
Reporter: The team has been plagued by consecutive injuries, with many players getting injured again just after returning. How frustrating is this? Do you think it’s bad luck, excessive training intensity, or other reasons?
Arteta: It’s really frustrating. Max’s injury is definitely not what we wanted. Trossard got injured again just after coming back, Saliba hasn’t returned yet, Gabriel was sidelined for a long time before.But since the start of the season until December, nearly five months, we have been dealing with this injury situation and have handled it quite well. As for the reasons, training is definitely not the issue, because we don’t even have much time for systematic training.
But being short-handed means existing players have to take on more game tasks, which creates a vicious circle with high risks. In addition, we have some long-term injured players who haven’t played since the start of the season, but this is also a test for the team, and so far, our response has been in place.
Reporter: Max is still very young but will be out for several weeks. How worried are you about him?
Arteta: This is actually an inevitable stage in his growth. When a player reaches this competitive level, is in his position, and has such a playing style, injuries will come sooner or later. Being out for a few weeks is actually fortunate, better than a more serious injury.
He can use this time to improve himself – whether it’s professional ethics, game understanding, or physical fitness, he can polish these aspects. Sometimes being away from the field can make players more aware of the meaning of football to themselves and accumulate stronger motivation to make a comeback.
Reporter: The team invested heavily in the summer window, but the defense has been plagued by injuries. Is there a possibility of signing new players to strengthen in the January transfer window?
Arteta: Currently, our focus is on the recovery of existing players, hoping they can return to the team within a few weeks. You know the next few weeks are crucial – the direction of many competitions will be determined during this period, and we also hope the injured players can return in time to inject vitality into the team.
Reporter: Christian Nørgaard has had limited playing time since joining in the summer window. Last season, Jorginho in this position was experienced and played frequently. What are your plans for Jorgensen’s playing time?
Will he get more opportunities in this game or subsequent matches? Do you also hope to give him more playing time?Arteta: I do hope to give him more opportunities, and I am satisfied with his contributions to the club and the team. Whether it’s his on-field performance or other aspects, he has met our expectations.
In fact, this is similar to the situation of players like Ben White – their playing time has not met expectations, mainly because other players in the same position have performed too well. This is a good thing for the team, but it may be a bit difficult for individual players, but overall it is conducive to the team’s development.
Reporter: You mentioned the vicious circle of players being prone to injuries due to excessive appearances. The schedule is tight next, with games against Liverpool and Aston Villa next month. Will you consider rotating the lineup for this week’s Champions League?
Arteta: We have been working hard to ensure the team’s vitality and let the players play at their best. For example, Victor played almost every minute after recovering from injury – he didn’t even participate in much pre-season training, and eventually got injured again.
After that, Mikel had to fill this position because Trossard and Martinelli were also injured at that time. You could clearly see Mikel was physically exhausted at the weekend – this is the consequence of being short-handed.
Fortunately, we have been properly dealing with such issues. Moreover, after this game, we will have a long-awaited full rest week, and some players will return from injury. This will be a good "oxygen supply" for the team.
Reporter: Since last season, Arsenal have had 93 player injuries in the Premier League – only Brighton (97) have had more in the league. Do you think this is just bad luck?
Are there other reasons behind it? After all, this is a huge drain on the team.Arteta: I think we need to distinguish between types of injuries. We have many long-term serious injuries, especially the long-term absence of key players, which leads to a large number of injury days.
We have also been paying attention to this issue. As mentioned earlier, being short-handed has made existing players take on too many game tasks, which in turn triggers more injuries. However, I recognize the medical team’s work, and we are trying our best to improve the situation – but sometimes we really need some luck.
Reporter: What are the main conclusions you have drawn from the research on past injury data? After all, this is not a single-season problem, and some players have played more than 150 games in two seasons.
Arteta: Some players have played more than 150 games in two seasons, and their bodies have long been overloaded. Letting them play high-intensity games repeatedly will inevitably lead to injuries sooner or later. In addition, players who have had injuries, especially long-term ones, have a higher probability of getting injured again – there are many such cases in our team. But we have been actively addressing and resolving this problem.
Reporter: There is a claim that the team’s many injuries are due to overtraining. You were asked this question before. Do you completely deny this statement?
Arteta: Of course I deny it, because we don’t have much time to train at all. For example, today we only trained for 20 minutes – it’s obviously impossible that overtraining caused the injuries.
Reporter: Let’s ask about Victor’s situation. He has been a substitute in three consecutive games. Is tomorrow a good opportunity for him to start and score?
Arteta: We still need to control his playing time – he just played 45 minutes a few days ago. Tomorrow we will make the final starting decision based on the status of all players.
Reporter: Finally, let’s ask about Rice’s situation. You said before that it’s hard to rest him. Is his illness a good chance for him to rest for a few days?
Arteta: He was in very poor condition at that time. Rather than needing to sunbathe, he needed to stay in bed to rest. So these days he can rest well and recover his physical condition. In fact, he really wanted to play today, but unfortunately his body didn’t allow it.
