Arteta reacts to once again marginally losing out on winning the Premier League

NicheSportMedia

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reacts to once again marginally losing out on winning the Premier League with the 23/24 season title going to Man City with a 2 point difference  Emirates Stadium, London, UK

Transcript

00:00 First of all, congratulations to Manchester City for winning the Premier League.

00:03 Unbelievable what they've done since December. We've been on an incredible journey

00:10 with every performance index being at the highest level that we have seen.

00:17 And it still wasn't enough and this is the level. So today is a mixed emotions festival.

00:25 To really be proud of all those players and the staff that have done an incredible job

00:30 and they have pushed every limit, every margin that we could find

00:32 to try to win this Premier League. Unfortunately it was a bit short and we could not deliver

00:39 the big prize that we wanted because you can feel it that they are desperate for it.

00:44 And you were calling on the supporters to push you and the players

00:48 harder and demand more. Is that what you were saying?

00:50 It's the only way. So now we've seen it there and we are there. And they took it away from us.

00:58 It's the second season so there's only one way to do it. You have to be more determined,

01:03 you have to be more ambitious, you need to have a lot of courage

01:06 and push every limit and everything that we have because that's the next step.

01:15 Do you have a feeling of what the difference was this year?

01:18 Like I said, everybody available in the crucial moment of the season. Huge difference.

01:27 Is there a moment or game in particular you look back on?

01:31 For sure Aston Villa at home. You know in the first half it should have been 4-0.

01:36 And maybe the story would have been different but what happened last Tuesday,

01:41 maybe today we are champions. These are the margins, so, so, so small.

01:46 And that's a credit as well that the club and the team should take because you're

01:51 doing this against the best team in the history of the Premier League by far.

02:08 Are we reaching a stage where it might require 100 points to win the title

02:13 to beat Man City or anybody else here?

02:15 Yeah, but I was there when we did 100 points so I know what it takes and know what happened.

02:23 And this is the level. Nobody has to explain to me what the level is because I've been there

02:28 for years, every day. So I know what we have to do if we want to reach there. And not only

02:34 for one season but for the rest. But we are on the right path and the right journey. And to see

02:39 the evolution so quickly happening, I haven't seen it before. So we're on the right trajectory.

02:46 Now we need to put the teeth and bite into it because we really want more.

03:04 Have a beautiful holiday. That's what we need first because everybody has put

03:08 every single drop of energy and passion that we had and now we need to rest.

03:16 And when we decompress and rest and think, we have to start to think with more clarity.

03:31 Well the first and most important is how we're going to get this player to a different level.

03:36 That's my first job. And after that, if visualising that we still don't have enough

03:43 to do that, for sure we're going to have to do everything that we can to fulfil those gaps.

03:49 Is it healthy for football that you need to get so many to even challenge?

03:56 I mean, in promotion history, 89 points is nothing. It's not bad for you to be in the league.

04:01 Yeah, when you look in the last 15, 20 years of this league and the competition wasn't like it is

04:06 today, for sure you are a champion. But it's not enough. But this is as well. Probably we are

04:11 getting better and better and better and faster because someone is so good that you have to

04:16 change it. And that's what makes you good as well. So that's it. We cannot feel sorry for ourselves,

04:21 guys. We tried, we are improving. It was an unbelievable season again but we are not

04:28 champions. That's the reality.

04:29 Martin was quite emphatic on the pitch saying the team are even more hungry,

04:34 the players want to come back stronger and win everything next season. Is that the

04:38 set to get for the players in that first round now? Obviously they're disappointed today but

04:42 they're going to be even more hungry to go to the next season.

04:44 Yeah, but I had the same one in pre-season when we got together and they saw what was happening.

04:50 Players taking a different level, another year together, some big signings. It was a huge

04:55 belief in the squad that we can go all the way in any competition.

05:00 We have experienced the Premier League for the first time in seven years.

05:03 We arrived in the Premier League. Now we have to continue to be at that level.

05:09 What do you mean by the set to get to that level? What specifically do you mean?

05:15 In everything. The way they compete, the way they talk about the future,

05:20 where they talk about what they are capable of doing, what we are capable of doing as a team.

05:25 I sense a real belief there. They are really determined. Before I didn't have that feeling

05:30 that we really want to win and we're going to go toe to toe and look in the eyes of every opponent.

05:35 Now I feel that.

05:41 Is that the hardest thing, to deliver that consistency of motivation?

05:45 You know the last two seasons you've suffered this disappointment in the title race.

05:50 Do you have any fears that that could affect your squad moving forward in a negative way?

05:55 No, I don't think so. Because we're still there to win it and that's the motivation.

06:01 Gary, what are you going to do tonight?

06:04 Sorry?

06:05 What are you going to do tonight?

06:06 You want to come with me and have a look?

06:11 I have my family here, a few friends, so we'll have a good dinner with them.

06:15 And then spend some time with the staff and the members of the players together.

06:22 On pitch you said we will win it to the crowd. What gives you that confidence

06:28 ultimately going forward into next season?

06:30 If we do what we have to do we're going to be closer. At the end,

06:37 we will win it. They win, I don't know. But if we keep knocking and being that close,

06:42 at the end it will happen.

06:43 Thank you so much for everything guys. Have a good rest.

06:50 Hi, we're here.

06:50 Sorry?

06:51 We're here.

06:52 Yeah.

06:53 See you. Take care, guys.

06:56 Have some rest.

06:58 Thank you.

07:01 I heard you on the radio talking about you and you think we're here, but I don't know.

07:05 Thank you.

07:08 All the best.

07:10 Thank you.

07:10 Thank you, guys.

07:11 Thank you.

07:13 See you.

07:15 Bye.

07:16 Sorry.

07:16 Thank you.

07:19 See you.

07:20 I'm invited tonight.

07:22 See you. Thank you.

07:26 And now we're doing the music.

07:27 See you, guys.

07:28 Okay, we'll do just two bars.

07:30 You got a copy of my book, didn't you? See, I told you.

Category

Transcript

Recommended