Mikel Arteta was back in front of the media at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Friday, calm and composed as Arsenal prepare for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Sunderland.
With the Gunners aiming to strengthen their position at the top of the table, the manager made it clear that emotion and external noise will not drive his team. As highlighted by SoftFootball’s build-up to the game, Arsenal are focused on tightening their title grip rather than looking backwards.
Asked whether the fixture carries a sense of revenge after the earlier draw at the Stadium of Light, Arteta stripped it back to basics in a post shared by the club’s official X account.
He said:
Another opportunity to win, to be better than the opposition and earn the right to win the game, that’s it.
The same clarity applied when the possibility of going nine points clear was raised.
He said:
The statement is that we do what we have to do, and it’s going to be a really tough match. I think they have been on an incredible run all season, and what they’ve been doing, so we know the complexity of the match.
On comments made by Liam Rosenior regarding Arsenal staff, Arteta refused to escalate the situation.
He said:
I don’t know, it’s his opinion and obviously we respect everybody. At any point, if one of the staff members went through that, we apologise and that’s it.
He added context by saying:
It’s very common in football, especially with the keepers because they have to kick long balls and all that stuff, so nothing there to comment.
Injury updates brought some encouragement. On Bukayo Saka, Arteta said:
His hip is getting much better, so yes, hopefully very soon he will be with us. Very soon, very soon.
Regarding Martin Ødegaard and Jurrien Timber, he explained:
Martin again is getting better, it will be a matter of days we believe, and Jurrien’s fine.
Max Dowman, however, remains unavailable.
Arteta said:
Max hasn’t trained with us yet, so it will be still a few weeks I think, but it’s getting better yes.
Reflecting on the Chelsea win that sent Arsenal to Wembley, covered extensively by SoftFootball, Arteta acknowledged the lift it provided.
He said:
The energy that winning a big tie against a great Chelsea side brings and the fact that you’ll install yourself in Wembley in a couple of weeks, obviously it’s exciting, it’s what we want.
He added:
You could feel the excitement around our supporters as well which is great, so yes, on to the next one now.
Arteta confirmed there are no other injury concerns. But he was candid about the loss of Mikel Merino.
He said:
It’s a big blow. Mikel offers something unique in the team but he’s going to be out for four months unfortunately with a very rare injury.
He stressed the importance of keeping him close, saying:
We need to support him, make sure that he’s very connected with the team because he can still add a lot of value.
On the atmosphere at the Emirates, his demand was simple and direct.
He said:
The best. Tomorrow, 2.30pm, the best atmosphere that we’ve seen.
He continued:
We’re starting to get into a really crucial part of the season, and we know what every game means.
Arteta also praised individuals.
On David Raya, he said:
Certainly David has been immense for us since he joined. This season again, I think he’s gone to a different level.
On Kai Havertz, he added:
We are really happy to have him… to show the level that he’s shown immediately after such a long injury is very impressive.
Asked about belief in the title, Arteta revealed how early it began.
He said:
Before the pre-season had started.
In the end, Arteta’s message never wavered. Strip away the noise, the praise, the pressure, and even the title talk, and his mindset stays the same. Focus on the next game, prepare properly, compete with hunger, and let May decide everything.
