Every word Mikel Arteta said on Arsenal injuries, Newcastle, Saliba contract and Billy Vigar

Mikel Arteta faced the media ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon. The Gunners have two more training sessions, on Friday and Saturday, and the Arsenal boss leaned into this when discussing who may or may not be available.

There were questions on Martin Odegaard and Piero Hincapie, who missed the midweek win over Port Vale due to fitness issues. However, Arteta has a very deep squad to call on, with attention as to who his midfield three might be following scrutiny of late on his selections.

Eddie Howe has already ruled out Fabian Schar for the clash, while Jacob Murphy faces a late fitness test.

Here is every word Arteta said in Tuesday’s press conference:

Sorry, I've got to start on a bit of a sad note, Mikel. A young member of the Arsenal family, Billy Vigar. I know you probably wouldn't come across him too much, but it's been a terrible tragedy that he's lost his life. Just wondering what the thoughts of Arsenal were about that?

Well, it's shocking news, when I got it yesterday, obviously. So straight away thinking about the family and how difficult it is to go through something like this in a very unexpected way as well. And hopefully they will dig in and understand what happened, why it happened and try to avoid these kind of things. But really sad news, and our full support with the family and our thoughts with all the loved ones.

Well it brings everything into perspective but to crack on with other questions, can you give us any injury update on Martin Odegaard?

Martin will be training with us the next two days so hopefully he'll be available for the game.

Okay, so racing to be fit?

Yes.

And with Bukayo, he came off didn't he after an hour, took a bit of a knock, but it was always the plan was it for him to have that many minutes?

Yeah, nothing to report. I think he played the game that we anticipated. He did well, he feels good and he will be training the next few days.

And he's available for selection?

Yes.

And you said there was going to be more, another scan I think on Noni has that happened?

Not yet, not up there yet.

So everybody in the world, apart from Arsenal, seem to be saying that William Saliba has agreed a new deal. I'm assuming that the reason Arsenal haven't announced it is because it's not quite done yet.

So yeah, so hopefully it will be everybody in the world, Arsenal included, very soon and that's what I'm hoping. But let's leave the club to announce that when it's all done.

But if it does happen, how important is that? Because he's a pivotal player for this club.

He certainly is and he's been instrumental in everything we've done in the last few years. It's great to see a lot of players willing and so thriving to come into the club. That means that they are happy, they feel valued, and they see that this is the best opportunity for them to continue their careers and fulfil the ambition of the club.

How much pride do you take in the way he plays, his form, how good he is and the fact that he's of interest to other big clubs in the world?

Well, very impressive what he's done at his age, because sometimes we tend to forget. But his consistency, I think, the way he's progressed, I think the way he's matured as well as a person and his role in the team has grown year after year. I think he's built a partnership with Gabby especially, but with the backline and the keeper that has given him the best defensive record in the last three years, I think, and he's been pivotal to that.

On that, you've conceded, you've played some tough games already this season, but you've only conceded two goals in seven games. So that says how good your defence is. Have you got the best defence in the Premier League now with all the options that you've got in all the positions?

I don't know. We want to have the best team in the Premier League. And in relation to every phase, I think the contribution of every player is critical. We start from our front line, and the amount of pressure and work that they put into any defensive line, any goalkeeper, is tremendous. So it's something collective, it's a team sport, and in anything that we do, everybody has a pivotal role in that.

But to concede just two in seven, that's impressive.

Yeah, especially one of them was a free kick that you cannot do much about it. And one it was an action, there are things to improve, but overall I think we've been consistent. It will be key to maintain that level.

Newcastle, last couple of seasons it's proved to be, results-wise, anyway a difficult place to go. Do you see them as a different kettle of fish now that Isak isn't there because he scored the winner against you last season?

No, because he wasn't playing against Barcelona and what it could have been in the first 30 or 40 minutes could be very different to the results. At the end, we know, I always praise the work that Eddie [Howe] and the coaching staff have done there and the way they have managed to create such an atmosphere, especially at home as well, and a very clear identity of playing football. And they make it really difficult, and we know the test. We know that we're going to have to be much more efficient than we've been lately when we played out there to win the game, and we're going to work on that in the next two days.

I wanted to get a top coach's point of view about kick-offs and using them as a tactic. Newcastle have done it quite a lot from kick-off, kicking the ball straight out as deep as the opposition area. I think you did it as well against Liverpool. What's the thinking behind that?

There's various ways. I like more the one that you put the ball in the back of the net straight away instead of kicking it for a throw-in. There are a few patterns and a few ways that the team have done it over the past, but there are some tendencies as well in relation to the game that we expect as well, or you expect certain things that you can do to try to avoid certain pressure in the first minutes. It's all down to preparation, I think.

Is it something, kicking the ball straight out, that you would only do away? Could you do that at home as well?

Depends. First half, second half. If you concede and it's two minutes to go, depending on the context of the match and the results, I think it makes you decide what's the best thing to do now.

Just finally on that, are there any other little tactics or kick-offs that you're considering that you might use in the future?

Probably, yeah.

But you're not going to tell me what they are. I am running a few minutes late; my previous meeting is running over.

No.

Regarding Saliba, since you gave him his debut in the Premier League in August 22, he's also ranking his first in terms of possession won, touches, successful passes, second in ball carries, clearances, aerial dribbles won and tackled won. Can you mention you had certain expectations of him when he gave his debut? How much he exceeded those expectations?

Yeah, probably all of them, I would say, especially the way we started our relationship when probably we had different expectations or ideas of how we had to start to create the best pathway for him to fulfil his potential. But I think at some point we got to the same conclusion, to the same line, we started to work together and from there, with the help of all the coaches and players, everything started to flourish because it was clear that the potential was there. It was about timing and especially, in my opinion, creating the right environment and players for him to deliver what he could do.

Saka, so far, 99 goals involved for Arsenal in the Premier League. How special will it be to reach 100 this weekend? And how impressive is the ability to show consistency while dealing with injuries along the way?

100, 101 and 102, hopefully on Sunday. I think that's in less than 200 games as well, which is a really impressive record. That tells you again, when we talk about consistency on attacking players, creative players, that's very rare to find and at his age especially, more. But that's the talent that we have.

What's the biggest challenge of facing Eddie outside and how massive the challenge is this weekend despite the fact, obviously, they're getting used to a new reality without Alexander Isak?

Well, it's a lot of games that you have to dominate when you play against them, and we have to be ready because the context changes so rapidly, so quickly. It's always a really intense match, and I will be prepared for that, we know that. But increasing, especially, our efficiency in two very specific key things, I think it's what gives you the best chance for you to win the game.

You’ve been asked a lot about Saliba already, but it's not just Saliba, of course, it's Gabriel signed a new deal, Nwaneri signed a new deal, Lewis-Skelly signed a new deal. This collective clearly is showing that they believe in the project, that they're part of. How important is that to you to see that commitment?

Well, extremely happy and every time I sit with a player and we discuss with the club what their intentions are, the first thing is that they want to continue with us, they want to win with us, they want to continue to grow as a player in this environment and that's a great thing to have because it's not always the case or we don't take it for granted. But that means that obviously the club is doing really well as well to make people and staff feel very valuable and happy here.

When you arrived at Arsenal as a player, you arrived after a period when the likes of Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie decided not to commit important years of their careers to the club. As a manager now, you're seeing obviously players of yours decide to do that. How do you view how the club has evolved over the last 12 years it would be from that period?

Well, I think the circumstances were different as well because when we moved to the Emirates as well the club had all their needs so it would be I think difficult to compare. What I can say is again that I'm extremely happy that players are feeling so committed and so willing to continue with us because we want to do the same, continue with them because they've been exceptional for us.

You seem very excited and rightly so about the imminent news on William. Are you expecting some news on Bukayo that you might be able to share with us soon?

I would love that. From everything that I know, again he's a player that is extremely happy and proud to be and to have the role that he has in the football club. Things will develop in a natural way, like they always do, and everyone knows how important Bukayo is for us, so hopefully we can do it.

You said you sort of sat down with William and you must be aware of some of the noise that's been coming from the Spanish press and the fact that he's always looked like a player that Real Madrid wanted to sign and these big clubs. When he says to you that he wants to stay at Arsenal, when he says publicly, how much pride do you take in that? Because you know as you said it's been an up and down sort of relationship, he must have got something right.

No, I think well I was quite all right with him because when you hear that noise and you can understand certain expectations, at the end players have feelings, having educated as well in their families, maybe dreaming about something one day and that's a really natural thing to have. When I sat down with William and I asked him the question, he said ‘No, I want to stay here, I want to play for you and I'm very happy’ in his own way so that's great to hear.

The question about Real Madrid or just like moving on?

In general, I didn't want to be specific but it was obvious the amount of noise that it was around certain clubs, we don't have to name many teams but there are not as many that can come and get Willy out from Arsenal and probably him being happy to discuss it so it was clear and again he was so transparent and honest from the beginning.

How would you describe the atmosphere at St James' Park?

Incredibly beautiful, I think it's one of the best football atmospheres in this country. I think when you as a player, as a fan, as a coach, you want to live in this atmosphere, they play every single ball with you, it's electric, there's so much support out there and it's one team, one city, I think that makes it that different as well and to play as an opposition as well is such a challenge and opportunity at the same time so a great atmosphere.

And just on that Barca game, did you watch that and was there something you learned from it in the sense that Barcelona had that 20 minutes where they kind of weathered the storm and then they were able to play the football that they wanted to do, are there things that you've taken from that going into Sunday that you think your team can learn?

Yeah, I think there are two ways to look at that game with a tactical view, it's on mute or turning the volume up and I decided to put the volume up just to understand because in every decision making there is an emotional contribution and certainly when you have to play your game and the way you want to play there, you have to be able to do it in that atmosphere and I think that's beautiful.

But when you mentioned there was a moment where I guess yours and Saliba’s relationship, you found the same kind of conclusion, can you remember the conversation around that time and what actually helped you get on the same page?

Yeah, there were a few, the last one it was unfortunately over the phone because we had to make the call and it was during COVID as well and it wasn't easy but I said listen I have to be very honest with you, the last thing that I want is you being here and not playing the football that in my opinion you have to play to continue to develop and the club was on board with that and after that when I saw him and I looked in the eyes of him and I said in my opinion are you ready, what do you think? ‘Yeah, I'm ready.’ So then we started and everything started to flourish.

What about I guess that year made you feel he was ready?

When I saw him in training to see the things that in my opinion are basics that you need to absolutely dominate to play as a centre-back in this league.

And just on Simon's point on St James' Park, I remember when you went there a few seasons ago, when I think I was playing in yellow and you missed out on the Champions League. The first five minutes seemed really important in that game for what the atmosphere kind of brought to it and the emotion, and you spoke about trying to take the game into a different mood, and I was just wondering how important you feel the first five minutes of games in really tough atmospheres like that are, and can they help?

Yeah, the first five minutes are the most important minutes for the first five minutes and then the next five are the most important ones and like this still the referee blows the whistle. It is everything generally, it's momentum, tendencies and feelings in relation to how the team is feeling in that moment on the pitch, but at the end, you need to be dominant for long periods of time, you want to win that, and that's what we're going to try to do on Sunday.

Ahead of your trip to St James' Park? Obviously, you had a corresponding victory in the Emirates last season, you beat them 1-0. Are you going to keep the same philosophy that you used for that game to beat them, obviously, in regards to going away from home or are you going to keep it the same?

Well, every game will be different, I didn't like the first minutes that we played at the Emirates against them. I like other parts of it, there are a lot of parts that I like, the game we played at St James' Park, but not especially the way we conceded the goals, but we'll have to be better. I think the level is raising, their level will raise, our level will raise and we're going to have to be at our best and if we do that we're going to have a big chance to win the game.

In regards to Eberechi Eze as well, against City he dropped into midfield and played a pass that might have led to a score, is that something you're going to be asking him to do more often or is that just Eze did at the moment?

Yeah, especially if he drops and pulls the ball through I'm going to tell him to do it very, very often.