Mikel Arteta is mostly definitely marching into the 2022/2023 season as the most elated manager in the Premier League. The Arsenal manager saw his newly revamped team pull up a five game unbeaten run in their pre-season tour.
The Spanish boss would be hoping to overturn last year’s dreadful start, as the league marathon begins with his club’s early opener against Crystal Palace tomorrow. Arteta in high spirits, shares the difference between his current team and the side that lost to Brentford at about the same period last year. He also went on to provide injury updates on his side, as well discuss prospects of the coming season in a press conference interview.
💬 on the injured players (ESR, Tomiyasu, Vieira, and Tierney): “Three out of four are gonna be training this afternoon if everything goes well hopefully they are going to be in the squad. Hopefully we are going to start to recover because they missed a lot of minutes and time in pre-season and they are really important players for us.”
“The reason they have those injuries are for different reasons and probably because the squad didn’t enable them to fully recover. What I can tell you is that those two players are so willing to contribute to the team.”
💬 on the difference to Brentford last year: “It is different. Everything that happened before Brentford was pretty strange and unique. We are really excited, looking forward to the new season, and will try to start in the best way.”
💬 on the squad changes: “It’s always been my team. We have changed the squad. The players we have are more specific and better to the way we want to play obviously.”
💬 on Leno’s exit: “With Bernd at the end it was just a professional relationship that was difficult to sustain. I spoke to him last night and he’s a man who will be remembered here. In football, you have to make decisions to play the way you want to play. Bernd has found a move he’s really happy with and we wish him all the best.”
💬 on Odegaard becoming captain: “This season we had the opportunity to do it in the way that I believe could work. We chose a player in Martin who has been with us for 18 months and represents the values of the club in the perfect way. He’s respected by all the dressing room and admired by the staff. I’m happy to have someone like him, he’s enjoying the responsibility and he’s going to need some support.”
💬 on the transfers: “We are really active as you can see with ins and outs. Everything is still open it’s a long window. It’s incredible how much business the club has already done. It’s not gonna stop.”