Arteta on Alvarez: I don't know, that's for the board to handle

Following Arsenal's 1-0 away victory over Aston Villa in the second round of the Premier League, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke to Sky Sports.

Mikel, that was an unusual victory tonight. How do you summarize the match?

Very happy. This is a huge victory, and it's very difficult to get three points here. I think we deserved this victory. I would say we showed a great team performance because when the starting eleven weren't enough, the substitutes coming off the bench played an excellent role, securing the result and winning the game. Yes, I know how difficult it is to win here.

What makes Aston Villa so hard to break down? What was the key to victory?

It's what they've been doing for the past four years. Every top team struggles against them because they are very good, well-coached, have great players, have home fans that provide them with strong support, and they are extremely dangerous on the transition. Once you lose the ball in midfield, this team becomes very dangerous. From my team, I saw many things that made me happy.

Last season, we saw that you fully trusted your players to find solutions in games, but now with the experience of winning the title last season, has your trust in them increased even more this season?

I have always trusted my players. As for the level of trust, I don't know—it also depends on the specific moment. Last season, we suffered greatly here, losing in the final moments, and that feeling still stings.

You touched on this briefly, but how pleased are you to see Guimaraes and Nketiah come on and help the team secure the win, especially in the eight minutes of added time?

Very pleased. They helped orchestrate the actions that led us to win the game. We first brought on Bukayo Saka, then Bruno Guimaraes, and they changed the dynamic of the game, which was great. The same for Ezri—very composed, making every decision calmly. Then when Zubimendi came on, I was also very happy with all of them. That's what we needed.

With another big battle against Chelsea next weekend, does tonight's victory feel significant in terms of building early season momentum?

Every victory in the Premier League is crucial. It's only the second game, but it feels like we had to win this one. We know it was the same last season. We understand how difficult this league is and how hard it is for every team to get points. So tonight we must be very proud.

Tomorrow is transfer deadline day. Can you tell us if there will be more signings or departures?

I don't know. I've been offline for a day because I don't want to focus on anything related to that. My energy has to be on the game, and that's why the club has the right people to handle these matters.

There are continuous rumors, especially around Alvarez. Do you expect anything to happen there?

I don't know, that's for the board to handle.

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