Arteta responds to critics of Arsenal's goals and reveals his stance on Gyokeres
Mikel Arteta has been talking up Arsenal's preparations for Sunday's trip to Nottingham Forest on matchday seven of the Premier League, speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
The Gunners have found their spark again since the international break, beating Leeds in the league and Lille in the Champions League. That came after a 3-0 defeat at Brighton before the previous break, and keeps them chasing leaders Manchester City, who still boast a perfect record.
Arteta had warm words for the way his players bounced back from the Brighton loss, telling "Sky Sports": "We responded really well in the last two matches. We produced very good performances and results, and now we are focused only on the match against Nottingham Forest, which I know will be very difficult. We will do everything we can to score goals and to prevent conceding them as well. They are a very well-coached team, and we have faced Oliver Glasner in the past. They are a team capable of creating a very special momentum at home and we are ready for that."
Set-piece reliance has become a stick to beat Arsenal with, and the Spaniard pushed back hard: "We are being criticised for scoring goals. Regardless of the way we score, the team is showing a wonderful attacking flow, and we have scored some beautiful goals. The value of all the goals is exactly the same. We have to be a team that scores in many different ways and makes things difficult for the opponent."
Jurrien Timber drew plenty of praise too, with Arteta highlighting the defender's strong return from a cruciate ligament rupture: "We can see how important he is in the team. When he is in his best physical condition, he is an incredible player who can really change the way you attack, with the ferocity he has in the defensive side of the game. He also has a real personality on the pitch, so it is wonderful to have him at this level."
He added: "It has been a challenge, but he overcame a very difficult injury in his first official match with Arsenal. I think he used this summer to challenge himself in other areas and to realise the fact that when you are available and you have the chance to play, that is one of the best things that can happen to you. He pushed himself very hard, because he went through some difficult moments, to reach this level."
Viktor Gyokeres and his lack of minutes came up next, and Arteta leapt to the striker's defence: "This is just a phase in a player's career or in the season. We are trying to help him as much as possible. A striker's brilliance depends on very fine details. Scoring goals certainly changes the language of the conversation, but it does not change our conviction about how much he can help the team. What the player is showing is incredible will and determination, and a wonderful work rate to improve and to help his team-mates. This is the Viktor we see every day, regardless of his situation, whether he scores or not, and that is why he always remains an option to play."
The fixture pile-up and a shortage of options at left wing rounded things off. "Our thoughts are on how the players recover and how to get them in the best possible condition for the next match," Arteta said. "There is a lot of talk about this, but it does not look like it will change. Obviously, when someone is out for several weeks, the squad becomes less dense. Are we less dense at left back or centre back? Yes. What we want is players who have enough strength to always be available, and when they are not, someone else steps in. The good thing is that someone else has come in, whether it is Eze or Nwaneri, and played really well."
