January 17, (THEWILL) – Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has addressed multiple topics during his pre-match press conference, including potential striker acquisitions following Gabriel Jesus’s anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained during the FA Cup loss to Manchester United.
When questioned regarding transfer possibilities, Arteta stated, “At the moment we don’t have them, we are trying to find the solution.
“We will have to see what we can do. We are actively always evolving the squad.”
The Arsenal boss provided an update on defender Riccardo Calafiori’s availability for the upcoming fixture against Aston Villa, indicating that medical staff would make final assessments regarding his selection.
“There a few decisions to make with the medical staff this afternoon, whether he can play in this game or the next one,” Arteta confirmed.
Addressing recent statements about his team’s performances, Arteta maintained, “If we refer to the stats, the stats said that we were the best team in the league but the reality is that we didn’t win the league so we still need to improve and be better. We are playing to win and that’s exactly where we want to be.
“The pressure comes from within. You have to thrive to be the best that you possibly can be.”
Following their 2-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby, Arteta reflected positively on his squad’s performance,
He stated, “I loved the attitude that the team played with, great occasion in front of our people, the atmosphere was brilliant but we move on to the next one, that’s a big game.”
Looking ahead to the weekend’s match against Aston Villa, Arteta acknowledged the challenge ahead, “We will try as hard as possible to prepare in the best way to win. We know the difficulty of the team that they are, and that’s why they are performing so well. Great players, and a great coach.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
