Arsenal manager Arteta attended a press conference after leading his team to a 1-0 home victory over Hull City in the 10th round of the Premier League.
Hi Mikel, this was a crucial victory and a valuable three points before the international break, with Ødegaard scoring the decisive goal. How do you assess Martin's performance today and the role he played?
I am very happy with this victory because going into the international break after a win is one of the best feelings. I think this applies to both managers and players. Regarding our performance in this match, I believe we were undoubtedly the better side. We created enough chances and dangerous attacking situations and could easily have extended our lead even further.
We were efficient in converting our chances, but we also had to keep building attacking momentum, creating plenty of threat inside and around the opponent's penalty area, and persisting until we finally broke through their defense. That is precisely how we won this game today.
As for Martin's (Ødegaard) goal that broke the deadlock, it may not have been the most aesthetically pleasing, but it was certainly effective: he took the initial shot and then reacted quickly to score from the rebound. Today, that was enough to help us secure the victory.
The start of this season has been very tough and challenging for the team, but it has won nine of its first 10 games. How would you assess the team’s overall performances and results so far?
Well, I think I have to praise all our players highly and give a big shout-out to the entire staff, who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, because their hard work has been incredible. This period of the season has been very, very difficult and demanding, with very little time between matches for us to recover physically while dealing with extensive travel and other difficulties. However, despite these immense challenges, the strong mentality, character and tactical quality displayed by the entire team during the games have been unbelievable.
Therefore, we are indeed in a very solid and advantageous position right now, but we are also very clear that the team still has plenty of room for improvement in many areas. During this upcoming international break, we will analyze in depth how to make targeted improvements and better anticipate the demands of the matches ahead, because the games that follow will be extremely tough.
Hi Mikel, the team seemed to have a few minor issues in the first half today, and this might actually be a general trend so far this season: the number of offsides. There have been 35 offsides in the Premier League this season. Where exactly is the problem?
Are you taking the offside into account in the penalty decision?
The penalty... well, if you exclude that penalty decision, does that make it 34 offsides?
Well, that is certainly an area we need to improve. As I've emphasized many times before, there are many things we need to work on, and this is one of them. Offside issues are sometimes closely linked to the timing of passes and runs, sometimes depend on the match situation, and sometimes depend on the positioning of the opponent's defensive line and the space they leave you.
But there's no denying that the offside count is a little high. Of course, the match against Aston Villa skewed the figures to some extent. I think the sample size is still relatively small, but your point is valid.
Regarding the team's habits and the call you just mentioned, do you think a penalty should have been awarded?
I'm not sure because I haven't rewatched the match replay, and I really haven't had time to, so I don't want to lie to you all. I was quite surprised at the time because, when the referee was called to watch the VAR video replay on the sidelines, our coaching staff and the members on the bench were all telling me it was a very clear pull.
But I have just heard that they ultimately decided not to award a penalty because Kai (Havertz) was in an offside position when he initiated the attack. I am therefore still unclear about how they interpreted the rules and reached their decision, but I am certain they will provide a clear, easy-to-understand official explanation later.
Several journalists here were also trying to work out whether a player being offside affects a penalty decision or has no impact at all. It’s truly confusing. As a manager, can you still fully understand and master all the rules, or have you also reached the point where you find it all extremely chaotic and are confused about what constitutes a penalty?
I'm not sure yet. I first need to look into which rule takes precedence in this decision-making logic. Once I understand how the mechanism works, I can give you an accurate answer. What do you think?
I think he was indeed in an offside position, but the rules seem to indicate that it doesn't matter in such situations...
In that case, it wouldn't be considered offside.
Hi Mikel, just a quick question: how is Rice doing now?
Yes, he's perfectly fine; everything is normal.
Today's match was again decided by a single goal. Last season in the Premier League, it seems that 15 matches ended in one-goal victories, and this season, almost half of your wins since the opening league match have also been by a single goal. What needs to change to extend the margin to two or even three goals? I know that's always the hope, but what does it take to make that next step?
We must be more clinical in front of goal. Today, we had two excellent one-on-one opportunities against the opposition goalkeeper, and we must convert those chances. There was also the penalty controversy and another chaotic situation in the box, where the ball bounced around and several shots were blocked or saved by the opposition.
Therefore, we must keep finding ways to significantly improve our scoring efficiency and, at times, adopt a more pragmatic approach. Sometimes I feel we are always trying to score a flawless, "exquisite goal," yet against such deep, compact defenses, you have to be more chaotic and disruptive than usual; that's just how it is. At the same time, we must try to break the deadlock and take the lead earlier, because that will fundamentally change the course of the entire match.