Arteta on overcoming tonights defeat to face PSG next week

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on overcoming tonights defeat to face PSG next week  03/05/25   Emirates Stadium, London, UK

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00:00I hesitate to ask about VAR and the goal game, what's your view of the winning goal?

00:12I've just seen a few images and it looks very different to the decision,

00:17but they made that decision.

00:19But overall, how do you feel about your team's performance?

00:21It felt a little bit like the Brentford game, you couldn't get that two goals ahead.

00:26Well, we started and we did the most difficult one, to score the goal.

00:29I think after that we had four or five very open situations to score the second one.

00:34We didn't kill it.

00:35And after that, on top of that, you defend the box really poorly,

00:39the way we've done it in the two set pieces that we have conceded again.

00:42So they're going to punish you on a team like Bournemouth, they're going to punish you.

00:46And after that, the game becomes rushed, very chaotic.

00:49That's why they won big spaces.

00:51They have more legs than us, especially with some players that were struggling in the final minutes.

00:56And we were unable to get the result that we wanted, so I'm very disappointed.

01:01There you go.

01:02I think that's 21 points dropped from winning positions this season.

01:07Does that come down to almost losing that momentum, as you mentioned,

01:10or just how does that happen so often in one single season?

01:15Well, I think every game probably would have a different answer to that.

01:19Certainly what happened today is that if you defend the way we don't,

01:23very few set pieces but very poorly, in the league you're going to get punished.

01:28It doesn't matter if you are ahead or behind in the scoreline.

01:32And that momentum that came for Bournemouth in the second half,

01:36how do you make sure that doesn't creep into the PSG game?

01:40Well, we certainly wanted to create a really good vibe, a positive result.

01:45It would really help us to build what we wanted towards Wednesday.

01:50So what we have created now is a lot of rage, anger, frustration and a bad feeling in the tummy.

01:57So make sure that we use that for Wednesday to have a massive performance in Paris,

02:02win the game and win the final.

02:04Did you notice that Enrique Ed rested his whole team today,

02:10all apart from their bets?

02:12I mean, that's a huge advantage for him, I guess, but you expected that?

02:17Well, I don't know, that's not enough.

02:19They won the league so they have the luxury, they haven't the luxury to do that.

02:23We haven't because we still have a lot to do in the Premier League,

02:26but we have four days and I'm sure we'll be fully recovered and our best to play the game.

02:31Do you still think you have a lot to do in the Premier League?

02:35I just wonder if you may be, worst case, looking over your shoulder a little bit for top five now?

02:40Well, we have a lot to do, yeah, because mathematically we are not qualified,

02:44we haven't had the right to finish second yet, so we still have a lot to do, yeah.

02:49Tom?

02:50Tom McPhail, is there any sense that as the gap to Liverpool opened

02:54and it looked less like the title was attainable,

02:56have you noticed any difference in the domestic performances

02:59where the motivation perhaps in the Champions League,

03:01where that trophy is there to chase?

03:03Do you notice any differences in the league?

03:05We try not to, I think that's something very, very individual, you know,

03:09the way we have prepared the game and today we talked about

03:11a lot of things that we had to do against a very good opposition

03:14that were very necessary to win the game.

03:17We certainly missed the most important one, which is defending the box,

03:20because we did it poorly three times, very poorly,

03:23one in the first half and two in the second half,

03:25and it cost us the points, that's the reality.

03:27And pretty much we talked a little bit about the rules

03:30and how perhaps they have changed across the season.

03:33We saw earlier in the season have the ball slightly glances on

03:36as it went in I think against Aston Villa,

03:38it was ruled out.

03:39This game, it looks from the replays like the ball does strike Evelipson's arm

03:42and yet it's given, is that kind of what you were alluding to before the game?

03:46Well, no, I wasn't because that happened today, but I prefer not to comment on that.

03:52Hi Mikael, because you've done so well on the Champions League,

03:55is the recent stringer results in the league potentially impacted by the focus on the Champions League?

04:01Maybe you took an eye off the ball in the Premier League anyway, do you think?

04:04Again, our preparation has been exactly the same, not even more,

04:08I'm trying to put more emphasis into it, the margins are very small.

04:12It's true that maybe we lacked, I don't know, maybe a little bit of freshness

04:16and the way they have to repeat today, they have to play some players

04:19that probably were in the best condition to play because we don't have other players.

04:23But that's it, that's the context that we have.

04:26It must be quite frustrating though, I know you've still got a points gap

04:29and you should hopefully in your position finish second,

04:33but with the team obviously chasing you now, it must be quite a bit of frustration to, again, obviously...

04:38Yeah, every time you don't win a game, especially when you lose,

04:40you are very frustrated and, as I said before, that raises that frustration, that anger.

04:45And that bad feeling that we have in the tummy,

04:47make sure that we use it to have a big performance on Wednesday and be in the final.

04:52OK, last couple, firstly Ryan.

04:54Mikel, you've been praised a lot this season for scoring from set pieces,

04:59obviously conceding two tonight.

05:01I think it's that you conceded 12 league goals from set pieces this season,

05:06which is the third worst.

05:07Is that an issue that you need to sit down with your team with a rest,

05:11or do you think it's just bad luck?

05:14It's not only what you score, it's the difference in gap

05:18that you do between the ones that you scored and the ones that you conceded.

05:21And we have conceded a lot, especially recently,

05:25which are costing us a lot of points, that's clear.

05:28And that's everybody's responsibility.

05:30But as well, credit to the opposition, today they've done it really well.

05:34I mean, somebody is able to throw the ball in the middle of the goal

05:37to a guy that is taller than anybody else,

05:39and he's the ball in the back of the net.

05:41We really want to do better, but it's difficult.

05:47In the first half, towards the end of the first half,

05:50I know you seem to get really frustrated with your team's sloppiness at the back.

05:55Is that a concern, 12 going to PSG, because we know how good their front three is,

05:59but at times your team seems to be losing the ball in quite silly spaces?

06:04Today, in many situations, we have given balls away

06:09that there's nowhere near the standard that we require, certainly.

06:12OK, finally, Simon.

06:13Michael, can I just ask, in terms of fitness,

06:15are you confident that Yuri will be OK for Wednesday?

06:18No. Confident at the moment, no,

06:22because he wasn't able to play here and we played in four days.

06:24What was the issue with him?

06:26I cannot tell you.

06:27Can I just ask with Martin, it was a bit towards the end

06:29where he sort of kicked the ground when he was going for a shot.

06:31Is he OK?

06:32I haven't had a chance yet to speak to the doctor

06:35giving me an update on that, so I don't know.

06:38OK, guys.

06:39Thanks a lot.

06:45All right.

06:46Cheers, mate.

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