Arteta denies focussing Arsenal attention on Madrid after Everton draw

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Arteta denies focussing Arsenal attention on Madrid after Everton draw  05/04/2025  Goodison Park, Liverpool, UK

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00:00I think we deserve more, but that's what we got at the end, a really tough place to come.

00:19What they do, they do it really well, constantly putting the balls, there's no balls into the

00:24last line, dealing with our play and second actions, I think we haven't conceded anything

00:28in the game, which was really positive, we were 1-0 up, had some big opportunities, ran

00:35into spaces, we didn't finalise the actions, second half we started good, started to dominate

00:40the game, they're going to be more aggressive, have more spaces, we did the opposite, we

00:44gave the ball straight to the keeper, direct play, trouble, again direct play and the referee

00:48decides to give a penalty, that changes the course of the game, which I'm here to give

00:54my opinion, I've seen it 15 times, there's no way, in my opinion, that's a penalty.

00:59Because if there is, then O'Brien has to be out and Ederson has to play with 10 minutes,

01:03that's clear.

01:04After that again, dominated the game, not get too much momentum because he's constantly

01:10breaking the play and a big part of that was down to us, because after that play we get

01:13very cheap prefixes away, but we have two big chances to win the game, we didn't convert

01:18them, so we have to accept the point.

01:21I feel like we've spoken a lot after games where refereeing decisions have come up this

01:25season and the gap between yourselves and Liverpool is quite significant, do you feel

01:29as though that has played into maybe why the gap is so large this season?

01:33I'm married to Liverpool, the way they are winning their football matches and taking

01:37a reflection of what happened today was really relevant for the score, and there's no question

01:43that apart from that they had nothing, but obviously that changes completely the momentum

01:47and the results.

01:49Hi, it's been a few times now with Miles Lewis-Skelly in certain situations in defensive

01:53scenarios where there's been controversy, do you think in some ways he's been targeted

01:57by referees because he's been involved in these situations in the past?

02:00No, I don't think so.

02:08Just in the team you picked, you see a lot of first-teamers left out, presumably that's

02:16all with Real Madrid in mind?

02:18There were four players that couldn't start the game after what happened with Fulham,

02:22and obviously the injury of Gabi, so that forces you as well to make some changes, and

02:27as well because players deserve to play minutes, so I'm very happy with that.

02:32Everybody has to be important, has to feel important, they have so many games coming

02:36up right now, and we have to rely on all of them.

02:41So those players, it wasn't a case of thinking, well we've got a massive game on Tuesday?

02:48We thought it might be, but not for what was happening on Tuesday, but because some of

02:53them haven't trained, they haven't had the opportunity to start again.

02:58Just with Makaio, who's obviously had two games off the bench now, do you feel like

03:02he's in a position that he could start on Tuesday?

03:04He's in a much better place, obviously we have built that up, he played 30 minutes,

03:08today he's played 49, a little bit less because we whistled before we ended the game,

03:15and after that he will be in a much better place.

03:19You've got that big decision about who plays that left centre-back without Gabriel,

03:23how did you feel Jaka did today, and also is Ben moving back to centre-back something

03:27you're thinking about with those games against Real Madrid?

03:30We have alternatives there today, obviously we have players that haven't played together

03:34so that cohesion hasn't been there, Ben especially hasn't played at all almost this season.

03:39So good that they have the minute, they have that understanding, and we will assess what

03:44are the best options for that back line.

03:47Jordan, can I take a question?

03:53He's fine, I just checked with the doctor, he had a cut, so he was bleeding quite a lot

03:57in the first half, then he started again, but overall he wasn't feeling anything, so good.

04:07Hi.

04:09Jordan, how does it feel to be back in the Premier League,

04:11you said you were just playing in Barclays and you were here to do a job,

04:14but in your opinion, much loved former Everton player,

04:17coming back to Woodson Park for the last time or something,

04:20reports on this and you say how difficult it is to come back as an Arena.

04:26Well, I think the Premier League has got a reputation all over the world for places like

04:32Woodson Park, I think that makes the Premier League unique,

04:35I understand it's the evolution of football, of a football club,

04:38but this is very much part of the history of this league,

04:41and when you want to describe somebody from abroad, how is the Premier League looks like,

04:46you say go to Woodson Park and experience it,

04:49and unfortunately in a few months we're not going to have that again.

04:53Mikel, Everton's gone now, how much excitement, how much anticipation is there among your players

04:59now, even on the journey home about Tuesday night?

05:02Yeah, one of the most beautiful games you can play in football,

05:05in the highest European competition against the team that has dominated

05:09that competition in the last 20-25 years, so, yeah, really looking forward to it.

05:15Do you just rest, rest and rest now, is that all you can do?

05:18We have to train and prepare a few things, but tomorrow we'll have some time to rest

05:23and start preparing really well for the game, because we're looking forward to that game.

05:29Thanks, everyone.

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