Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid: Key Takeaways from Arteta’s Pre-Match Presser

On October 21 at 20:00 UK time, Arsenal will face Atletico Madrid at the Emirates in the Champions League, aiming for three wins out of three. Mikel Arteta has appeared at his pre-match press conference, and here are our key takeaways ahead of Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid.

Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid: Press Conference Key Takeaways

Arteta Meets the Media Ahead of Champion League Fixture on October 21

Speaking on the mentality of his team after the 1-0 win at Fulham, Arteta said: 

“It’s very happy obviously and especially after international breaks when you know that you have to align and regroup everybody. You could tell that in the first 10 minutes that we were a bit still getting that rhythm, but afterwards watching the game back I think that we deserved to win. There are things to improve, but we take the win and we move on now for the Champions League match.”

Mikel Arteta has had to deal with various injury problems within his squad, including Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard, among others. Summer signing, Piero Hincapie, has struggled with a groin injury since moving to North London, but Arteta had a positive update when asked about the Ecuadorian’s availability:

“He will be available. I think [the Fulham] game came a bit too early for him, so he had another two very good sessions and now he’s ready to go,” said the Gunner boss.

Arteta Looks Ahead to Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid

Looking ahead to the Atletico Madrid game and discussing Diego Simeone, the Arsenal boss said: 

“At the highest level, I think what he’s done since he got to Atletico has been outstanding, not only what he has achieved but the way he’s done it. I think the identity that he has created for the club, for the team, the spirit, I think they are very simple and clear to identify, and that’s because the manager is very much them. That’s extremely difficult to achieve for a short period of time and to do it for 14 years, I think he’s been there now, he’s done something incredible so it’ll be a pleasure to meet him.”

On his team’s good form and the importance of improving on last season:

“We have to get as much information as we can and understand the reasons why we dropped certain points [last season] and then try to implement them. To be fair, sometimes from a draw to a win there are details and things that have to go your way, but it’s true that the team shows a different kind of maturity, threat and probably conviction at this stage. But it’s still very early, we have to do it now for another 30 games and that’s going to be the objective.”

Gabriel Heinze Praised

Arsenal have impressed defensively so far this season, and Arteta spoke on the influence of former Manchester United coach Gabriel Heinze:

“I think that’s something very, very collective with all the coaches, with the players, with their commitments as well and Gabriel added something different, that willingness to win. We’ve seen that through his career: that experience to win and to elevate somebody’s level, ambition and drive to the highest limit, and he’s extraordinary at that.”