Every word Mikel Arteta said on Brighton vs Arsenal, Timber, extended break, Hurzeler and Pro Ref

Mikel Arteta faced the media ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Brighton. He provided the latest team news with updates on Jurrien Timber, Piero Hincapie, Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White.

There was also further talk about the fallout from Sunderland, including the conversations with Pro Ref. This game marks the final match before the new extended international break, and the Arsenal manager gave his views on the change to the schedule.

There was also further time to praise Max Dowman after his big performance at Ipswich Town.

Here is every word Arteta said in the press conference:

Hello Mikel, nice to see you. Ben White, how is he?

All good. We have another training session this afternoon, so very positive about everybody.

Really, so that includes Jurrien, Cristhian, and Piero?

Yeah, we have another session, they are willing to be part of it and we have another session to try to make sure they are fit.

That's great, you're the Don when it comes to transfer updates, you're the Don when it comes to injury updates. You're the Don, apparently according to Jamie Carragher, the Don…

A what?

Like a boss. Jamie Carragher's words, not mine. When it comes to being like Sir Alex Ferguson, you're likely to Sir Alex Ferguson in terms of having the position now to be able to influence referees by calling out mistakes. Is that fair, do you agree with that?

No, I think I'm here to try to give my opinion, to defend my club, to give the very best to our players. I know that to do so, obviously you guys get asked some questions and we need to respond in the most direct way, I think, and fair way. I will make mistakes sometimes, but I will try to be as fair as possible.

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Because many, many managers, including Arsene, before you called things out when they haven't been right, all you want is everything to be right that's right and wrong that's wrong.

We discuss many topics in this room, and they're important, all of them, and we have a space to talk, to give our opinions, to have discussions, to have personal conversations, and it's everybody's duty to try to improve the game, and that's what we're here for.

Have you heard as a club from Pro Ref yet? I know you wanted them to look into that.

This is a conversation that will remain private as usual and they have to keep that one.

Manchester United have had an apology, would you like an apology?

It's not about the apology, it's just agreeing that the decision should have been different or not. Maybe they have a different opinion and try to improve and move forward together.

Speaking about apologies, I understand you did get one from Fabian after he had a bit of a rant following your win there in March about your style and your time-wasting.

That's on the part that I have huge respect for Fabian, what he's done and what Brighton has done as a club. It's just remarkable, and tomorrow is going to be a beautiful game to watch, I'm sure.

If you win, there will be eight wins on the bounce from eight games this season in all competitions. Arsenal say they haven't done that since 1903, even I'm not able to remember back to 1903. That's another record that you've reached.

We've got a really tough opponent tomorrow so we're going to have to earn the right to win the game. But certainly that will be the mindset of the players and the team.

The contract, you want to sign it, the club want you to sign it, I want you to sign it, the fans want you to sign it. Are you going to sign it in the international break? You've got three weeks to do it.

I think we are all very much aligned. Whenever the time is right, we'll get that done. There is nothing to be concerned about.

Should we read anything into the fact that two years ago it was this time in the international break that the news came out?

I don't know if the time will be the same or different, I think we both have the same ambition and the same will. So whenever we have time, we'll get that resourced.

And finally from me on the international break, are you happy with the new longer one? Is it good for the players or worse for the players?

Let's see, it's something that we'll have to experience. As you've seen, different national teams, different managers have taken different approaches in terms of the numbers that they have put in the squad. So it's going to be really important to have good communication with them so they understand where our players are, what we expect, what they expect as well. And work together, that's the best way always.

This is your fourth consecutive away game now, you've got Brighton next. Beyond the physical side, what do you learn about the mentality of your team when they consistently have to go away and impose themselves in an away stadium?

Well, that's one of the challenges of the schedule, and the team has responded so well. Playing with such dominance, it doesn't really matter if we play at home or away; we want to be the same team. We want to cause the same kind of problems to the opposition.

We have managed to win the three games, and we've got the last one. Against a range of opponents, as I said, against Brighton tomorrow and we will try to do the same.

There was a moment in the cup game where Gabriel immediately went over to Marli Salmon to support him and he made a little error. It really gave him confidence and those instinctual moments on the pitch can really make or break sometimes the confidence of a young player. You obviously have a great leadership group, is that onus on them? When you can't physically support on the pitch, do they support themselves outside or do you give them the tools to be such great leaders?

You cannot cause that. You have it, or you don't, because it's a split second. It's just a very emotional reaction when you're in the middle of the game, and I absolutely loved it because we've all been there.

Just encouraging the confidence that it gives to a 16-year-old to go again and deliver in the next action, it's huge. I think he's mentioned it already, and it's good to see that bond, that connection within the team to try to help each other.

And just on Bruno [Guimaraes], do you see him predominantly as a left centre mid because when he's at Newcastle he's predominantly played on the right?

He can play on the left, on the right, in the middle, he can rotate from there. He's such a dynamic, versatile player that he can deliver great moments in any position. It will be more down to what we need on the day, the relationship that we have with the other midfielders and for sure what the opponent does as well.

In the past, I've always told you I think that David Raya has done okay since he joined Arsenal. When you think about his career, seriously, non-league football to Premier League and probably now the best goalkeeper in the world, should win the Golden Glove. Just tell us what part, you played in that, what part he himself has played in that to make himself now the best in the world?

That's a great story. For any kid as well to look at trajectories and pathways and how you can reach the highest level in football. I'm always maintaining that will, that motivation and that enthusiasm that it can happen.

Now, football, especially internationally, is so connected that you never know. You might be playing a game, somebody scouts you, and you can end up in two or three years' time playing at the highest level. David has been, I think, it's his mentality.

Obviously, he has tremendous quality, but he has overcome a lot of difficulties and a lot of challenges to reach this point. When he reached this point, it wasn't easy at the beginning. He really has to dig in and improve himself and with all the coaches, with Iñaki especially, doing an amazing work with him daily and all his teammates. But he has the right to be one of the best now.

Would you say, I know it's very difficult, but would you say he's almost been your best signing? I know you have players who score goals, players who have played in defence and your defence has been incredible the last three to six months. But would you say, probably, pound for pound, he's been your best signing?

I don't know, he's been a tremendous signing. There's no question about that, whether he's the best or not. It's just an opinion but it doesn't matter. We are so happy to have him. I think he has elevated the team, the club to a different level and now we need to maintain that level.

You've been asked about the international breaks. In the past, there's been one in August, one in September, one in November. It's almost stop, stop. Really hard for teams to get momentum going. Do you think possibly in terms of a team keeping momentum going, this might be better having slightly longer, get more games in and out of the way?

Let's see, let's see how it pans out. I think every national team is different. Some play very locally in Europe, some others have travelled around the world as well for two and a half weeks. So we have to wait and see how this develops.

And finally, I haven't checked the supercomputer, so please forgive me. But is there any chance, you might be already thinking, with the chance of winning another game this season, making it five out of five, that this team could be another Invincibles?

We just have enough on the plate today to prepare the game against a really good Brighton tomorrow. And we know how tough that's going to be and then the right to win it, that's it.

Viktor's facing one of his former clubs this weekend. Maybe he hasn't been at his best so far this season. Do you get the sense he's struggling for confidence at the moment?

No, obviously, especially in the Premier League, he hasn't played that many minutes. But last week he played in Napoli, and he had a good game. I think that's about moments as well.

We need to give him all the support and confidence that he needs to deliver because we know the player that we have, the capacity that he has to score goals and what he can give to the team.

You were saying at the start of last season, it was about him adapting to the team and the team adapting to him. Where do you think the team is in that adaptation? Do you think he's fully settled in now or is it still a learning process?

I think the team is doing certain different things this season as well. It's a bit of both, but it's nothing unique for Viktor; it's for everybody. That's a constant evolution, player and team. And for sure our job, especially my job, is to try to fit that in and find those connections and that level of confidence for the player to give his best for the team.

I think Graham Potter said this week that a change in the environment could be good for him joining up with Sweden. I remember you saying in March, when he came back after the 10-minute run, that he came back with energy, and you were on a good scoring run. Yeah, I scored a few goals. Shouldn't that be the spark he needs this season?

Especially for a striker, you know what, they need minutes and they need goals. That's what really boosts the energy of them and we have a game tomorrow and hopefully he can deliver that.

There’s been a big push recently on the youth side of things. We've seen Per move on and Pascal's come in. We've also seen a number of signings that are dated for the future, Victor in January. Andria Bartishvili recently announced as well. Has it been a key element of your design for us for the future to invest in these young starlets from around the world?

Well, it's together as a club. We know that if we want to constantly maintain this level and have the pathway already in-house, which is the best way, obviously, to bring players from the academy or from the youth teams to us, they need to be one of the best in the world at recruiting. Recruiting in the country, recruiting abroad, the best talent that we possibly can to give us the best chance to sustain that level.

And over your nearly seven years at the club, we've seen some young players move on. I think of Chido or Ayden previously moving on. This summer, Nduka as well I believe has moved on. But you've also managed to keep some of your strongest players like Max and Marli as well from signing on to those new deals. Other clubs are experiencing challenges keeping really young players at the club and being tempted away. What experiences have you experienced over this near seven years of young players being tempted away from big clubs?

That is challenging because there are a lot of parties there. And obviously the way the system is set up is not easy. And there are certain moments throughout those years that there are gaps that big decisions have to be made.

And they are the choice to make those decisions as well. So sometimes not only what we want to do is what the player or the agent or the family wants to do at times as well. And that's not easy. But we're going to try to, for sure, to keep the best talent in-house.

I know you were asked earlier about the record of possibly winning eight games in a row starting the season. What does that say to you about the club and how they started the season? And has it taken you by surprise at all? You know there was a World Cup, but Arsenal started so impressive it's not an easy feat, is it?

Well, we know how complicated it is to win a football match at this level. So to win seven, it tells the story. After the World Cup, especially, there were a lot of unknowns about how the players and the team were going to react. We didn't have any time with them to work together. But I said from day one, I think the attitude and what I was seeing, I was really impressed with. Then you have to put it down to performances. We had a bit of luck as well, for sure, to win four matches. And we are here. And then we want to make another one for sure tomorrow.

When we talk about players knocking on the manager's door, they're not getting enough minutes. I just wondered if a player like Max, who obviously plays so well in the week, got two goals. Is he knocking down the door saying, come on, I need to start?

That's the best way to knock on the door: to do it on the pitch, not in the office. I think with that, you're just left out of arguments when a player delivers constantly on the pitch every single day in training. That's the best way. That's the best signal for the manager. That's the best signal for his teammates as well. They will demand that player playing. And what Max did the other day, alongside all the players as well, that they haven't played that many minutes, it was really impressive.

I wanted to ask about Eze. This season, all of his minutes have come on the left wing. After Martinelli and Trossard’s departures, what attitudes does Eze bring to left-hand side? And how is he different between those two?

Well, he's always played there. His biggest moments in his career and the highlights of his career have come. And I think it's a place that he feels very, very comfortable. He can occupy different spaces through them. But that's the space that generally he has created big moments for previous clubs to win matches.

He shares those minutes with Tzolis in the left wing. How do you determine what an Eze game is and what a Tzolis game is?

If they’re in form, in the opponent, in the relationship that we have within that unit, there are a lot of factors.

Ezri Konsa came in and he played against Sunderland, Brobbey, a very formidable opponent, a very physical battle. Can you tell us about his attitude and his link-up with Gabriel? He seems to be bearing a lot of fruit.

Yeah, well, I had some great things about Ezri before he joined. When you have it daily, you just realise the magnitude of the player that we signed. Not only the player, but the person. The way he presents himself, the way he's able to connect with people immediately. We talked about Gabriel, when you see those two in the corridors talking, the way they interact with each other. It seems like they've been here for a long, long, long time together, which is great because that's a partnership that, in my opinion, is extremely important on the field. And then, yeah, his attributes, the quality that he delivers to the team, it's something that really makes us better.

I wanted to ask about Max. Of course, he's obviously developed an ability, but being around the first team, how has he developed as a person, a character, a mentality?

Well, in a really great way as well. Obviously, when you see how those players behave daily, the level of attention they put to any detail, the way they look after themselves, the standard that they set, if you become part of that environment, that's only going to raise your level. It's going to educate you in a way that becomes a normality, and when that becomes a normality, then you will hit another level, because then you will be able to add to that, and that's where Max is at the moment.

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