Every word Mikel Arteta said on Arsenal vs Crystal Palace, Gabriel injury, set-pieces and Eze

Mikel Arteta faced the press ahead of Arsenal’s match with Crystal Palace on Sunday. Eberechi Eze will be facing his former club and the manager gave his thoughts on what it’s like to play an old friend or two.

He also delved into the set-piece discussion, which continues to dominate discourse and the Gunners’ matches. While he also gave an update on the status of Gabriel Magalhaes and some of the longer term absentees.

Here is every word from the press conference:

• Mikel Arteta provides worrying Gabriel Magalhaes Arsenal injury update ahead of Crystal Palace
• Five Arsenal injury updates, Declan Rice disagreement, Eberechi Eze's feelings

Can we start off with any team news after the Atletico game?

Not much, obviously Big Gabi had to leave the pitch with an issue, and he hasn't been able to train yet, so let’s see how he evolves in the next 24 hours, whether he's available or not for the weekend.

And any news on the longer term injuries in Madueke, Odegaard, Havertz, Jesus?

They are all progressing really well, they are all starting to do certain activities, they are all super willing to be available as quick as possible but at the moment none of them are yet in contention in the next week or so.

Incredible stat, three goals conceded only in your first 12 games, it's the least in the history of the club. Is there a motivation to create more history, maybe even break Chelsea's record from back in the day?

Yes, we want that this kind of record that we are getting a lot at the end brings the silverware and the trophies that we want but obviously the more we can produce I think the closer we're going to be to achieve what we want to do. And that defensive record is very good but we need to be consistent, it's only just the start of the season and the aim is to continue improving things which we can do still, a lot of them to even better.

Crystal Palace next, I guess a big game for Eberechi Eze in particular, his first game against his former club, what are his emotions like…

It's a big game for us because last season here we dropped some points and it's the fourth game in a row that we're going to play against opponents that we drop points and this season we've been able to beat them so it focuses on that.

We know that for Ebz it's going to be a very special match with the history and what he did for Palace but the focus is on the team.

Just on those four games, because you pre-empted my next question, but does that form part of your messaging to the team? Look, we didn't win against these four teams last season, you've done it with the previous three, now the chance to do it with the fourth.

Well, if we want a very different outcome, we’d better do very different things than we did last year, especially against these features.

We know what Palace are doing, what Oliver [Glasner] is doing for the football club and the way they are getting results so it's going to be a really tough match. But we're going to play again in front of our crowd and we are confident if we hit our level we have a big chance to win it.

A lot of people are talking about the strength of your squad. Just from the manager's perspective, does that bring with it its own challenges? Because I'm guessing it can't be easy for you to leave out players who maybe deserve to be in the team. How accepting on the flip side do the players have to be to know, look, you're not going to play as much as maybe you deserve or you want to?

Well there are two sides to it. One the emotional part and my attachment with the individual, with the person. I would love to play all of them but the second one obviously without a question of a doubt I'd rather have this situation, than the situation we had in the last few years when at some point we were very short in numbers. So we have created a very strong environment, a really competitive and supportive environment that hopefully can challenge to be very competitive every game. That's the aim and that we want to achieve and we just all go towards that direction.

You've obviously got some players who are in great form but looking at Crystal Palace, Jean-Philippe Mateta looks like a completely new player. Five goals so far in the opening eight Premier League games. How do you stop him?

Well, first of all, it's obviously what they do as a team at their level of organisation. They have very clear intentions of how they want to attack and which moment they use to attack and to hurt opponents. So, stopping the source is probably the best way. When you get into certain situations in one-vs-one you know that it's very prolific and it's been very, very successful especially recently so trying to avoid that.

From their attacker to one of your attackers, Viktor of course, getting a brace mid-week against Atletico. What was your conversation with him like after that? Of course a lot of rumblings around...

It didn't need a conversation, it just needed a hug and just look at him and enjoy how happy he was after the game. I think we were all very happy because he fully deserves that.

15 goals so far from the opening games. I know you're used to many questions being asked about the manner in which the goals are being scored, with two-thirds of them coming from set-pieces. Are you at all concerned that it's only five from open play at this stage?

No, because I don't see football like open play and set-pieces, I see the game in a different way.

Going on from that then, the set-pieces, I mean, a lot of people say that Arsenal score most of their goals from set-pieces. They still can't stop you and yet football seems to be going more to teams who want to be like you scoring from set-pieces. How have you done and perfected this?

With work. First of all, creating the culture, giving to that part of the game the importance that it has. Understanding that, again, football is evolving and the opponents are behaving against us, that we have to maximise certain things that happen very frequently. So something that happens very frequently better has a lot of value to us, so trying to maximise that and be effective.

At what point did you say though, did you hone in on the fact that this was going to be such a rich source of goals and so good for your team?

Ten years ago.

Explain.

Ten years ago I said, I think it has to be, I wasn't here, but ten years ago I said it's a massive thing to do that and I started to have a vision and try to implement a method and try to be surrounded by the best people to deliver that.

Firstly on the defence, Arsene Wenger's success, everyone thought was built around that real famous back four and David Seaman at the back. Are you trying to replicate that, without copying and pasting, are you trying to replicate that Arsene's success with a tight back four?

I just go back to the history of football in general and the teams that have the best defensive record most of the times, except for the last three seasons in the Premier League, which we've been, normally you win the league. So just go against those stats, but the stronger we are in that foundation, the bigger the probability to win games are.

It’s easy when you're a manager if things are going wrong, I know what I need to put right. How easy is it to manage when things are going perfectly as they are now and there's a temptation not to touch anything or is there a temptation still to...

No, but they are far from perfect and there are a lot of things that we must do better. Obviously, there are a lot of things that we're doing very, very well, and we need to maintain that. So it's just about understanding that the margins to win football games at this level are very small.

In certain moments we had certain squads, in certain moments we had full sets to win them, but that's not going to be the same trajectory all the way in the season and we need to be prepared for that. So the more alert we are, the more urgency we have, the more desire we have for the next game, we're going to be in a better place to win the game.

We saw the Emirates on Tuesday, the light show and the integration of fans’ phones. We also saw the messages at half-time and before the game started to encourage fans to get back into their seats as well as early as possible to create a supportive and intimidating atmosphere. How important is that element for you in potentially the type of race and the impact it can have on games?

Key, capital. One of the most important things and I love that because we don't expect supporters to turn up to the stadium. We want them just to play the game with us, which is very different. In order to do that you have to be in your seat with a certain behaviour, with a certain body language. It's a good test, Sunday at 2pm [slams desk], how we're going to turn up after a big Champions League.

If we're going to go to another step and do something that we didn't do last year, everybody has to turn up to the stadium with that mindset. So that's what I want to see.

Can I ask you about what it's like playing against a former club, as Eberechi is going to do this weekend? You, of course, played against Everton when you moved to Arsenal. What challenges does that create for a player when they're playing former teammates and former friends so soon after they've moved?

There is something in your tummy, obviously. There is history, there are a lot of emotions, there are very close relationships. In my opinion, once you step in there and you go with that mindset, you have even more will to win. Because, as well, you made that decision here to be successful and to achieve something else in your career. I'm sure Ebz are going to be ready for that.

Can I just ask you about that when you said ten years ago you saw the importance of set pieces. I think that would have been your last year as a player doing your badges, I assume. Is that because you saw where the game was going and you thought that was going to be a key part of the year of football that we're in now?

Yes, and because I went to City with the best manager in the world and I could see where we could have improvements. It was clear because at some point I was doing that and I wasn't the best person in the world to do it. So if I'm not the best person in the world to do it and the best method to do it, there are ways to improve it. And you could see that straight afterwards when it started to happen. But it's not only obsessed with that, I'm the same.

The defensive part, in every transition, I want to be the best when it comes to chaos, I want to be the best. When it comes to position and attack, the best. When it comes to low blocks, the best.

And that's the eagerness to constantly find ways to develop your team, to evolve your team and to give your players more tools to be more unpredictable and especially more efficient. That's it.

And just one on that, Declan obviously, since he came here, has turned into probably one of the best set-piece takers in the country. I mean, he's had comparisons to David Beckham. What would you say to that and what do you think that says about his performance?

Again, I have some quotes that he made about that this season his position has changed a little bit and I disagree with that because his position has evolved and he is becoming a total player. A total player has to be able to do as many things as possible and he has the capacity to do that.

So that's to evolve a player, to start to bring something else to the team and especially when you talk about scoring goals, he's letting the position evolve even better and he's been instrumental in our improvement in that part of the game.

Just sticking with the theme of the midfield, obviously Martin Zubimendi's come in. It looks from the outside like he's adapted amazingly to Premier League football. What would you say specifically he adds to your midfield that maybe you didn't have in previous seasons?

Well, every player is different. We had some terrific midfielders here. He brings certain hierarchies, certain composure that it's very difficult to understand and then the way he proceeds information and learns from the game and what is actually happening in the game at that speed is remarkable and I think, again, about him it was about unlocking certain spaces and his capacity to look further and to hurt the opposition when his teammates are further from the ball than himself and then, yeah, if he can add goals to it, even better.

Is there more to come from him then?

Yeah, a lot more and the more he understands his teammates, the timing of that and those relationship builds, I think we'll see another level still on him.

Since you don't see the game in open play and set pieces, is a key part of it then, the bit in between, the work you do in open play to then create the openings?

And the other way around. Football is like this. Football doesn't stop. It's all connected. If you want to see the game like this, OK, I don't.

Do you feel the trend in the Premier League generally is kind of moving more towards your way of thinking? Do you see teams copying it?

I don't know, but it doesn't mean that it's more important. It's equally important. But what happens is what happens frequently in your games and that's the thing that you have to really dominate and that's the opportunity to hurt your opposition. So we have to train and make sure that the things that are good for us happen very, very often because it will be more difficult for the opponent. But I think everybody tries to do the same.

When you say ten years ago you had this idea, can you just talk a bit about the patience and maybe the frustration you've had along the way? Because for ten years to have that idea, do you feel you're only now playing that kind of football? Just talk a bit about that journey, if you can.

No, it's not about that football. It's using those moments. And if you cannot generate other moments, make sure that you use these ones. But I think it's something that relates as well to the culture of the coach, the environment and then the players that you have. And everything has to be aligned. If you want to have a certain approach to the way you play the game, for example, we are super aggressive, you better sign and educate and train situations when the team can deliver that.

Because if not, if you want to be a team that deals really well with high press, you’d better be the best in the world at tracking back, because at some point, the opponent is going to break your press. So you have to have players that are able to deliver that. So it's all in relation to what you want to do. You have to acquire and have and evolve the players in that direction.

Is this Phase 5?

Sorry?

Is this Phase 5 now?

No, this is not about the phases. Phases was something else.

I'll ask you about that another day.

Okay.

I don't expect a little bit about this earlier, but the Chelsea record of 15 goals conceded in that season. If Arsenal continue on the path you've started this year, you'll be able to break that record. I mean, is it achievable? And if it is, what sort of message is that sending out to other teams about how tough Arsenal are to break down?

You mentioned the word if three times in that question. And in football, if, if, if is too many ifs. It's so unpredictable already. So on top of that, you put ifs. Then it becomes extremely difficult to focus on the things that we are doing, we are doing consistently well. And if we can improve them, then let's see where we are at the end of the season.

But just sticking with the defence and having only conceded one goal from open play. I mean, is that better than you could have ever foreseen? And again, it's something Arsenal are really intimidating to other teams.

Well, obviously it's something that is super positive. It's the first time that has happened in our history. Imagine how difficult it is to do it. So, yeah, we are very, very happy to be performing at that level in a really important part of the game, especially. And now it's about continuing doing it.