Mikel Arteta speaks to the press ahead of Monday night’s game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Read what he had to say here…

celebrating his birthday…

The break was very good, a special birthday is a big number. I had the chance to spend time with everyone here at the club, my friends, my family, so it was good.

on the friendly match with Brentford B…

Well, the fact that we can get minutes and exposure to some of the payers who haven’t had the opportunity to do so for the past few weeks. Get the level, get the competition there. Playing between us is not the same and we had the opportunity to do it yesterday and it was good.

on Palace’s home game earlier this season…

Yes, we scored at the end and it was a tough game. We had very good times, times when we struggled. We conceded two very bad goals in this game with mere giveaways which put the game in a really difficult position. The team, especially at home, is doing very well and the coaches are doing a great job and we know what it’s like to play in their stadium.

on Patrick Vieira’s induction into the Hall of Fame…

Well, that’s a huge achievement. You have to be very special to be nominated to be there and I think Patrick deserves it for what he brought to the English game, what he did for Arsenal and what he brought to English football.

on his post at the start of the season in…

I’m going to have them all today, just trying to refocus them, obviously when they’re on international duty all the time, they’re being asked to do different things, different roles, different kinds of pressures. For some of them it was their first international, so emotionally for them too it’s very exhausting. And make sure everyone is well and look forward to the challenge ahead.

on the physical condition of Saka and Ramsdale…

Bukayo is feeling good, he is training today hopefully if he still feels like yesterday and Aaron has a doubt. He still doesn’t feel well. He hasn’t trained yet so we don’t know what he’ll be able to do on Monday.

on Ramsdale’s injury…

He wanted to play against Aston Villa but it was a serious injury and he had to take his time. The physios are doing everything to make him available but we will see in the next few days when he will start doing more real training.

on players on international duty…

Well, I think the majority of them had very good experiences, very good performances, they also scored important goals. I’m really sad for Mo Elneny as this is the second time this has happened and emotionally it means a lot to him so I’m sure the team will be there and ready to help him.

having five substitutes in the Premier League…

I am happy that in the end we have unified a criterion for the whole of Europe. This is now how we do it, how we handle it. There will be some changes because it gives you other opportunities and I think the game will have some changes, tactically some changes and the most important thing is that you can manage the load of players much better. [We need to make sure] we don’t slow down the game too much and I think that’s good. It gives players the opportunity to be on the field, whatever they want to do.

On Tomiyasu’s physical condition…

I think it will be close. He trains more and more. He’s got the boys back now, so he’ll be joining a few sessions this week, and let’s see how it goes.

On Tomiyasu’s recovery and why it took longer than expected…

Because he had a recurring injury, but on the other calf, which was strange and hard to predict. He’s been through a lot in the last two years with all the Covid (and) the number of games he’s played. The transition to a different league with the intensity – it’s completely different. So we can find the right reasons and hopefully won’t go back to this situation. Because it was especially for him that it was hard.

On our record of not cashed on a corner this season…

Everything you do in attack or defense affects the whole team. Each individual has a role, each unit has a role, and the team has to be with the right level of focus, aggression, understanding what can happen and trying to avoid it.

On how he drives this…

In every phase of the game we try to train it, practice it and improve it to the highest level. Obviously, set pieces are essential in modern football.

On celebrating victories…

I’m not telling players to celebrate or not. I think it’s something that comes straight from them, and it’s great when I see them hugging, having fun and celebrating with the fans who have come a long way to be with us for a kick-off. dispatch at 12:30 p.m. Show gratitude for (the fans) being supportive. For me, it’s great.

Football being about winning…

Absoutely. I think the best moment as a footballer is after winning a game, and the atmosphere with his teammates. They must celebrate, of course.

On a new contract for Bukayo Saka…

Well, we are extremely satisfied with Bukayo. The progression he has, what he brings to the club, what he brings to the team. Obviously, we’re never going to share conversations related to private contracts, but we’re really happy with him.

Playing for the last time this weekend…

We’re going to focus on what we can do, it’s the only thing we can control. Thanks to television, we can suffer or benefit, but there is not much we can do. What we have to do is win the football matches we need to achieve what we want. Everything is in our hands.

When he would like to play for Tottenham later in the season…

I don’t think we will have a choice. So whenever the Premier League decides to do it, it will be the right and only time we play.

On the development of Balogun…

I think Flo is doing what he was supposed to, and we probably should have done that a little earlier. It’s always a bit difficult to determine when is the best time to do this. But he has the right exposure, he plays in a different formation and sometimes a different role under a manager and a club with a huge history. You can see how it develops, so that gives us information. This is going to give us more details on what is the next best move for him to continue to develop, because he has (developed) and we want him to be part of our future.

At Balogun…

The step was too big, from what he was doing in the Premier League, and it showed. It’s not fair of him to assess at times whether he can do it or not. So he needed a path, he needs this exposure. He needs to go through good times and tough times, and he needs to be able to adapt and find himself in the dressing room, and develop the importance that it takes to play at this level. I think he does it all very well.

On Harry Maguire booed for England…

Obviously they (the supporters) have the freedom to express whatever they want, but if you ask anyone related to football how you’re going to get the best out of a player, obviously it’s totally against the odds that the player will improve if he gets booed. This is something we all agree on. So if you want the best for your team and the best for your national team, obviously that won’t help the player individually, which won’t help the team collectively.

If he’s looking for Spain or England instead in the World Cup draw…

I’m spanish! You know that, but obviously the gratitude and feelings I have for England are very close, so I always cheer for the England team, and also because we have a lot of English players.

On Saka taking a short break…

I don’t know how much he would have played. Sometimes when a player is having a good time, you don’t want to stop him. It’s like that, he had the Covid and we had to take him out of the national team, he had a little time to rest and recover, but he will train in the next few days to get back in shape in which he was.

On Steven Gerrard saying Saka will learn to deal with challenges…

I think Bukayo said he was not going to complain, but he wanted some consistency in the refereeing. The only person who can protect the players is the referee as he guides the level of play and the level of contact and physicality that is or is not allowed in a football match. I think we have to protect our best players and that’s in the hands of the referee, that’s all.

On Ben White saying how great the team is together…

For me, it’s crucial because it’s the platform and the glue that you can build. Then, obviously, you need players, you need quality, understanding. The club and the supporters must be in solidarity with what you do, that they support it, encourage it. That’s what we try to do, but I’m glad Ben is having as much fun here as he is with the national team, that’s a good sign.

On Santi Cazorla being linked with a coaching role at Arsenal…

I didn’t discuss anything like that with Santi. But of course, if you ask anyone at this football club or any Santi supporter, they’ll probably have a smile on their face. He’s still playing so I don’t know what he wants to do, but I’m sure it will be football related as I know him well.

If he’s spoken to her lately…

I spoke to him on my birthday, but we didn’t discuss it.

On William Saliba making his international debut…

I haven’t spoken to him since but obviously we are really aware of what he is doing and how he is developing. He’s our player and we’re really happy with the decision we made. He gets the minutes and the exposure, responsibility and growth at his age was not something we could guarantee here this season. And what’s going on with him makes a lot of sense and we’re happy to see how he’s improving.