Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has warned that containing Chelsea’s attacking threat in Sunday’s London derby will require a collective effort, as he provided updates on several players ahead of the Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta, speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, said defending against Chelsea’s forwards would not be the sole responsibility of Arsenal’s defenders.
Asked about “banking” Chelsea’s front line, Arteta said, “Banking will be the responsibility, obviously a team responsibility, more than a defensive one.”
The Arsenal manager also gave mixed updates on his squad, revealing that Bruno is still being assessed after picking up a knock against Aston Villa in their previous game.
“He had a knock against Villa in the previous game and he’s being assessed. Hopefully, tomorrow he will be okay for training,” Arteta said.
On Cristhian Mosquera, who was withdrawn as a precaution, Arteta said, “It was more precaution than anything else, so we’ll have to see in the session tomorrow how he feels.”
Ezri Konsa, meanwhile, is available for selection, while Jurrien Timber could also return after making progress in training.
“He’s certainly available in the squad, so we’ll see when we make our selection,” Arteta said of Konsa.
On Timber, he added, “He’s in really good condition at the moment, he’s been a few weeks on the pitch and has been training with us, so he’s in a really good place.”
Asked whether Timber would be available against Chelsea, Arteta said, “We will decide again tomorrow after training.”
There was less certainty over William Saliba, with Arteta refusing to put a definitive timeline on the defender’s return from injury.
“We don’t really know the number of weeks he’s going to be out because it’s about a healing process and everything is a bit different – we know we have to respect certain timings. The progression has been really positive in the last few weeks, but we need to wait and see how that one reacts when we start to put some load into it,” he said.
Saliba has, however, been included in Arsenal’s Champions League squad.
Asked if it was easy to include the Frenchman, Arteta replied, “Yes it was, and we had the space to do it as well.”
With the transfer window now closed, Arteta said Arsenal must focus on the players available rather than dwell on deals that did not materialise, including the club’s failure to sign another winger.
“I don’t know, these are just opinions. The window is closed and I prefer to look at all the incredible things that we have in this squad and not to spend any more time on the things that are not part of us right now. That’s it and that’s my main responsibility,” he said.
Arteta insisted Arsenal completed their transfer business according to their intentions, despite acknowledging that the eventual outcome can differ from expectations.
“Yeah, 100% ticked. The outcome after can be different to what you expect, but the intention is certainly there, which is, in my opinion, what I value the most,” he said.
The Spaniard also backed Arsenal’s attacking options despite concerns over the number of forwards available to him.
“I understand the point of view as well, but we have to understand as well the amount of minutes that those players played and the ones that were injured last year, especially in the first six months, and the data shows something completely different. But it is what it is. It is what we have, and as I said before, we already have some very, very good players,” Arteta said.
He also expressed his confidence in Bukayo Saka, saying the winger had been “very reliable” in the opening weeks of the campaign.
“He’s been very reliable so far in the first two weeks, I don’t know how many weeks there are to go!” Arteta said.
Arteta expects Chelsea, managed by his former colleague Xabi Alonso, to have several ways of approaching the game.
“That would depend on a lot of factors and game state is a massive one, especially because the two games that they played, they scored very, very early and that changes the momentum and the shift of the game. But they are capable and he’s capable of playing in various ways. That’s been a really successful match so far,” he said.
Arteta and Alonso previously worked together and the Arsenal boss said he was pleased to see his former colleague take charge at Chelsea.
“I spoke to him before that. But yes, really happy for him, as I said. It’s incredible because obviously we have the history that we have together, the same with Andoni [Iraola] and to be facing each other at such a level and with the responsibility we have managing some of the top clubs in the country is a really beautiful thing to experience,” he said.
The Arsenal boss also praised Chelsea’s decision to sign goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, whom he knows from their time together at Arsenal.
“No. Obviously, I know Emi really well. So we had him here as a top goalkeeper. It’s clear what he’s going to bring to the team and I think it’s a really smart decision,” Arteta said.
On Gabriel Martinelli’s departure from Arsenal, Arteta paid tribute to the Brazilian, describing his development during their time together as significant.
“With great gratitude, it’s been a pleasure to work with him, to be part of this journey with him. The Gabi that I met and the Gabi that just left, it’s a huge transformation, both in the personal side and in the professional side. I think the impact that he had for the club, his ambition, his love for the game and the way he has, I think, helped us to grow and achieve our goals. I think he’s been a critical player. The story ends and we wish him all the very best in a different one. This is part of football,” he said.
Arteta also addressed Ethan Nwaneri’s move to Borussia Dortmund and the possibility of the teenager returning to Arsenal in January.
“Let’s see. The focus now for Ethan is to go and play in an incredible club. The atmosphere, setup, with Champions League in front of him, and all the talent at Dortmund. Then we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Nwaneri could face Arsenal in the Champions League, with Arteta confirming that the possibility exists under UEFA’s competition rules.
“That possibility is now open, with different rules to the Premier League, so yes,” he said.
The Arsenal manager also backed his midfield options after the club demonstrated its ability to change the entire unit during the victory over Aston Villa.
“That was really useful, and we discussed that game by game and then on matchday as well in relation to what the needs of the team or the moment requires to bring different kind of profiles to help us to win football matches, and Monday, that’s what I said, that it was a squad victory because everybody contributed and very specific qualities helped us to win the game at the end,” Arteta said.
He added that Arsenal have several possible midfield combinations.
“Yeah, there are multiple. I started to do combinations and you cannot finish doing them and that’s the beauty of it because they all complement each other and because they all have the mindset to be able to play and occupy different spaces throughout the game and that’s what we need from our midfield.”
Arteta said Arsenal’s academy continues to provide players capable of making the step up to the first team, although he stressed that timing and squad needs also play a role.
“It comes, I think, with the quality you have in the academy, and some days it’s just a generation that can fit in at the right moment. It’s about timing as well, the needs that you have. And I think as a club we want to provide the opportunity to our academy players to shine and to be at the level that we believe they can be. And so far, obviously, they’ve been really, really good.”
And with Chelsea next, Arteta said there was no ambiguity about the club’s expectations.
“That’s easy. I think the message was clear from day one. So if you think differently, I don’t think you have to be here, you have to go somewhere else.”
