Every word Mikel Arteta said on Fulham, Odegaard, White, Zubimendi and team news

Mikel Arteta addressed the media ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Gunners can continue their top-of-the-table form and gain a couple of points on their tally from last season after the stalemate in West London last time out.

Martin Odegaard was confirmed to have suffered a medial collateral ligament injury early during the international break. Arteta provided the latest on the club captain, plus several other stars.

Here is every word from the press conference:

• Zubimendi, White, Odegaard - Arsenal injury news and return dates vs Fulham
• Kai Havertz injury boost clear after two Arsenal stars miss training before Fulham

In the traditional manner, there's always something to talk to you about in terms of injuries, unfortunately. But first of all, can I check on Martin Odegaard? There's lots of news coming out of the club, but not officially yet about how long he's likely to be out.

It will be weeks. No definite date for his return, but he's evolving well. Very unlucky, what's happening with him and his injuries this season. But yeah, I think he will be back in a few weeks.

When you say that, that kind of brings into the equation, I guess, what people have been writing and saying that potentially after the next international break, it could be around that time.

It could be, but we'll have to see how he progresses, how the knee is healing, how he manages after the next steps in his rehab. So, too early to give an answer.

From one Martin to another Martin, Zubimendi, some eyebrows raised because he was out of training, certainly the initial session of the cameras filmed yesterday, but in his training shoes, watching from the side. Is that just part of his recovery process?

Yeah, all the players come from different countries, different amounts of games and minutes played, and we believe that it was the right thing to do. He played two games again, his load has been really high recently and he needs an extra day.

But he's available?

He will be available, yes.

And Ben White, similar?

Yeah, very similar. We are monitoring all the players and give a specific menu to each of them to make sure that they are in the best condition.

And some good news, we saw Hincapie out there with the rest of the guys.

Yeah, he will be training today again with us and if everything is right, he will be available as well.

Chance for him now to really get some minutes into his legs and become a big part of the group?

Yeah, we really want that. He’s a player is going to help us a lot, he's going to bring something different to the team. We need to get him going, get to the speed that's necessary to compete at this level and gradually get him to where we want.

Sorry, just two more before we move on. Noni, getting close?

Getting closer as well. He's going to start very soon to start doing some running and stuff and again, let's see how that works.

And how's Kai? Because we know he's surprised you before about how quickly he can recover from a major injury. Can we expect any similar surprise this time?

I mean, very difficult. There's still a lot to do in his rehab. He's really pushing it, we know Kai and that's why we love him so much. But we have to wait and see. I think we are doing a really good work with him again. He wants to break every timeline, I'm sure. But as well, we have to protect him and make sure that when he comes back, he's come back for the long term.

Before the international break, you went top of the table. During the break, you've gone into the top 10 of longest-serving Premier League managers. Another milestone. How do you feel about that?

Well, very privileged and grateful as always. And to be present on the day because we know that our job is the only thing that requires.

You've only got another 16 years to go to overtake Arsene.

Yeah, that's a long, long wait.

Well, it's a target. A target, I guess, is to do at Craven Cottage a bit of a bogey team. I guess you could say in recent years there, what you did at Newcastle where you got a result after a couple of bad trips. The same, hopefully, you hope for at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Yeah, that's a good example. What we did at Newcastle, West Ham as well. In the last two seasons as well, we lost against them at home. So that's an opportunity tomorrow. We know that it's a really tough place to go. A very well-coached team and we're going to have to be at our best tomorrow.

Keeping them out is obviously a big part of it and you've done that well so far this season as a group. That's the best in all the top European leagues in terms of the number of goals you conceded in the first 10 games or competitions. And the best ever of any Arsenal men's first team since Arsenal came into existence. Three goals in 10 games.

Well, that's a platform to build performances and results, that's for sure. And we want to consistently be able to defend at that level. In order to do that is how as well how we attack and how committed everybody is to do what we have to do. And if we continue to do that, it's going to give us a big chance to get where we want.

The way you are achieving those numbers, that must put confidence into the whole side, particularly that part of the pitch.

Yes, for sure. And as well, I think it tells about the organisation of the team and the consistency that we are showing in many aspects. And the more we do those things in a lot of parameters throughout the season and we establish ourselves in those categories at the highest level, the bigger the chance will be to achieve what we want, for sure.

A couple more from me. I wanted to ask you about your leadership group. You haven't actually said who's in it, but we kind of know that, obviously, Bukayo tends to get the armband if he plays and Martin is out as he is. But there's also Declan, Gabriel, Jurrien Timber. Obviously, Declan got the England armband, didn't he, this time? What does that say to you about the number of leaders you've got here at Arsenal?

Well, it makes me proud. Not only here, but with the national team. Every time I talk to the national team coaches and the way they talk about our players and the roles that they've been given as well in the last few years as well, that tells you the leadership, the accountability and how much they trust them. And yeah, Martin is out, but we have various kinds of leaders in the team now that they have. They have the ownership and accountability to deliver what is required. And Martin will continue to have a role, whether he's not playing as well, to push and to support and keep the demands high in the team.

One American ownership group plays another American ownership group on Saturday. And again, on Sunday, it's the Kroenkes versus the Khans. The Rams versus the Jaguars. Will you be watching? And I know you've got a good relationship with Sean McVay. Do you speak to each other? Can you learn from each other's sports, each other's tactics and styles?

I do, and Sean is someone that I admire a lot. Not only for why he's achieved as well, but the way he is as a coach, as a person, the way he presents himself, and I learn a lot of things from him. So yeah, we'll be connected. It's going to be a really tight schedule for both teams because we have the Champions League after coming up on Tuesday.

But it's great to have them. It's great to have Stan and Josh [Kroenke] here as well with us. I think it's a good opportunity as well to connect everybody.

Go Rams!

Go Rams.

I know it's only match week eight that we're going into, but we look back at the last few seasons, you've had experience of being chased and doing the chasing. You're at the top of the table. Which do you prefer?

I prefer to win every game. The only thing that we can do is to perform really well on Saturday and win the game. As you said, it's super early. It's not the moment to start looking at that. It's more the moment now to look at performances, to look at ways that we can sustain certain things that we're doing and improve others. And that's the only way. And that increases the chances to win in matches when it comes to March and April to be in the best possible position. And then when you ask me that question, I will tell you for sure, I want to be at the top.

What is it that you have seen that has been positive from the opening seven weeks so far?

A lot of things. There have been two very different blocks. In the second block, because of some issues that we had, we had to increase our availability in the squad. That was one of the main things to do. The impact that anybody could have in the game, whether he was playing or finishing, or he wasn't even in the squad. I think we did that really, really well. And then we have evolved a few things that we wanted. To be more unpredictable, to threaten more the opposition, to be super consistent in all the defensive aspects of the game as well. And we've gone to a different level. And after that, in the next block, can we sustain a lot of those things and increase others? That's the objective.

I imagine during the international break, as well as having a bit of downtime, you were watching some of your players who had great impact for their respective nations. Martinelli, I wanted to ask you about. He's only had two starts in the Premier League this season, scored for Brazil during the break. How much pressure is he putting on you to maybe be starting in that left-wing position tomorrow, even?

He's doing what we expect from everybody to do. He's got the minutes, the opportunity to deliver and to impact the game and especially the results. And then his attitude overall, his behaviour, the way he trains, the way he carries himself, his willingness to learn constantly. There are many examples throughout the team. But I'm very pleased to see Gabi going to the national team again and scoring and performing well. That's all good signs because when they come back, the spirit is good, the confidence is good, so everything is easier.

Declan Rice said on England duty that you've slightly changed his role this season, giving him some more freedom. Can you speak to us about how that change has been and how happy you are with how he's partnered up with Martin Zubremendi?

Yes, I think he's adapting to the qualities that we have and as well certain chemistries and certain relationships that you notice. And with the 8 new players in the squad, different things emerge. I'm just trying to maximise his qualities in relation to others to give the team the best capacity to perform.

Before the international break, it was a bit of a tough time for Victor Gyokeres. He hasn't scored in six games. I know you're appreciative of the work that he was doing for his team-mates. He didn't score for Sweden in the two matches. Do you have to pick him up at this point to lift his confidence or do you think he'll be OK?

Yes, but he brings so much to the team and watching the games back, I'm very pleased with what he's given to the team. I told him before the press meeting, I said, the nine that I want is a nine that when he doesn't score for six or eight games, he can handle that. If not, you have to go somewhere else because the pressure is gone, the expectation is going to be there. So, if you put it on a nine shirt on for Arsenal, you have to be able to say, OK, six games, if I don't score. I'm a different player? I start to act in a different way? I want much more of the same of what he's doing. Once we have those opportunities, I'm sure it's going to happen.

It was pointed out to me the other day that you have as many senior left-footed outfield players as right-footed outfield players. If they were to play each other, who do you think would win?

What kind of pitch?

What size of pitch?

You've got ten of each, so eleven aside.

Eleven aside, I don't know. It's good, it's a really good balance. It's a very rare thing to have and we have thought about it a lot. It is a coincidence certain things because, for example, our three academy graduates, three of them are left-footed. That's quite rare already. I have three sons, two of them are left-footed, quite rare as well. They are beautiful to watch, that's certain, and they give you something different.

We've mentioned the Rams here. We've also seen Barcelona and Villarreal going to Miami to play a La Liga game. I remember Josh speaking at a fans forum a few years ago saying he would guarantee that Arsenal would never play a home game away from North London. Do you see that as Arsenal's future, never playing a competitive home game away from the Emirates?

I don't decide that. For me to say never, I don't want to use that word. Let's see if there are other people who have to decide. If you tell me what you prefer with the schedule that we have, let's play as many games as possible in London, please.

Just on Viktor, you talk about his mentality. Is that something when you're scouting a player that you can find out about? How did you go about that with Viktor, to know he was someone who could handle the pressure of doing that for Arsenal?

Going back in his history as well with Viktor, it's a very different one. The beginning, when he wasn't even playing much, and then how he evolved his career. Then in the last year, it was very difficult to find a gap of that because I think he scored in every single match almost. But just preparing something. The context is going to change. It's part of football. You see the history of the number 9s. You're going to have moments like that. Hopefully, it's through playing. Not that you don't even have the option to play, and you are injured. So his robustness is something really good. I'm really happy with him. Full confidence and when you look at him every single day, how much he wants it. That's exactly what you expect.

Obviously on the outside, when you judge a striker, everyone looks at their goals. But when you judge Victor's performance, do you look at different things?

The first thing is that. That's going to give you something extra. Victor has so many things that probably are not noticeable. But as well, he creates environment and space and solutions to a lot of the players around him. And with the talent that we have in the team, I'm sure that everybody, him included, will benefit from that.

You mentioned the second block of games earlier. I think in that block you used a few players quite differently. Kai had played off the left quite a few times. Martinelli off the right. There were a few different combinations going on. I was just wondering what your thinking was with that and if you were happy with what you saw in those instances.

Yeah, I think having that unpredictability and that flexibility, I think it can add a lot of value. It's true that you need certain consistency as well in certain positions. And not all the players are that naturally confident or comfortable to adapt to a different position. But some of them did it and they did really well.

It's just finding when is the right moment, the right timing in the game to make those changes. And then it has to work.

Is that something you've wanted to do for a while in terms of that kind of build experiment?

Yes.

And what's made you, I guess, confident enough to do it at this point?

When you feel it, you have to feel it and now they are ready to do it. Because different positions have different requirements, physically, emotionally, in relation to the game plan. You change a player two or three times in a position in a game. That means that he needs to fulfil three roles in all the aspects of the game. That's a lot of information to process to a player. And some players are more confident and more comfortable than others to do that.

You mentioned Piero bringing something new to the group. Could you expand on what you're looking forward to seeing from him?

Well, what you're going to see is his aggression, his determination. He's a player that goes full gas to every single action, especially in defending. And with the ball, whether he plays a left centre-back or a full-back, a player that is very clean on the ball. Again, someone that really wants to penetrate, whether it's with the ball he's positioning. And it will bring a different character and emotion to the team.

It was mentioned there about getting a scouting sense of the person, as well as the player. Obviously, with Piero, you have quite a good friend who knows him quite well in Xabi Alonso. Did you speak to Xabi about that? Was there any recommendation?

Yes, for sure. I had to. I mean, someone like him that I know so well, trust him and had him for a few years. It's very, very valuable information to have. It was super complimentary of him for many different reasons. And it was good to confirm what I saw. And some of the things that you learn from that conversation, that probably you weren't very aware of.

Mikel, it was mentioned a little bit earlier on that Fulham have been a bit of a bogey team recently, particularly at Craven Cottage. How much does that kind of play into your preparation for a game like this? And if it does, is there something specific that you do differently when you come up against a side that maybe in the past you've struggled against?

Well, you always learn from that. Yes, it's true that at the end they will have certain new players, the state of the teams and where we are. It is different to last season as well. And then the game, the context of the game changes, especially last year. Immediately, when we are in total control of the game, and in one moment, we concede the goal. And then it's a different game to be played. But we learn from it. Obviously we want to make it different, especially the results that we had in the last few years. And we do our best to achieve it.

And Mikel Merino was in good goal-scoring form again in midweek for Spain. Is that something that you would say he's added to his game a little bit more since arriving at Arsenal? Do you take some credit for his development in the final third?

I think the credit is with him because he had those qualities. I think all the positioning players and insisting on certain qualities that can really impact and maximise the resources of the team. It's something that we made him aware of, basically. And then, as well, his mindset. His players are right attacking me to the left, attacking me to the left in different roles as well. And then as a nine. And then he has that. He always had that intuition, that quality to feel his actions, especially one touch inside the box. And now he's doing it very regularly and I think he's enjoying it.

You mentioned Sean McVay earlier. Is there anything else that you've learned from other coaches in other sports?

Yes, a lot of things. From handball, from rugby, from tennis, from ice hockey. It's a lot. And not only from the sport, but the sport played in different countries. So it's not the same rugby here as rugby in Australia. And it's something that fascinates me. It's not only about the sport, it's about the culture, about managing. Managers have been in the job for one season or 13 seasons. It's a completely different job. So it's always that willingness to learn, that curiosity to learn.

And with the NFL over here. You mentioned before that owners of both teams take an interest in both games. How important is your relationship with the ownership in achieving our goals?

Well, very much. Because at the end, we have to share the vision and especially the ambition. And the ambition is very clear. We are here to win, to win major trophies. And every sign that they are giving us, every conversation, that's the main topic. And they are incredibly experienced in the sport. They win almost everything. And what we want to do is do it here.

Sorry, just to go back to Martin Odegaard. Can I just ask how he is mentally? Because he's had to deal with a hell of a lot already this season. I know he was a captain. He really wants to be front and centre. How is he?

I think he's in a really good place. It was disappointing how it happened. The good thing is that he does everything that he possibly can to prevent injuries. The injuries that he had, they are very, very difficult to prevent. So that's something that you take a weight off yourself.

And that's it. And then he cannot afford to be in a different mindset. He's the captain. He needs to drive the standard. He needs to be the example. He needs to bring that next to that. So that's it. When you don't have an option, you are a dad. You have to look after your kids. You have to be there. You are good. You are tired. You don't. You have to be there. That's his responsibility in the team.

I mean, you never want to be out without your captain, obviously. But with the score building you've done over the summer, you must feel in a better place to be able to deal with it.

Yes, for sure. But that doesn't mean that Martin is a capital player for us. He's very, very, very important for us. We haven't had it almost since the start of the season, like other players, unfortunately. But we are coping because we have strength in the squad, because we have played with other qualities that they are still performing really well. And that's what we have to do. But make sure that we have him back because we will be a better team.

Since the last round of fixtures Arsenal have now been installed as the favourites by the bookmakers, to win Premier League, do you think that's an accurate representation of how things stand at the moment?

I don't know. Then we have to ask ourselves how accurate it was the one four weeks ago or eight weeks ago. So, we don't know. I'm sure a result or two would change that in an even better percentage for us or what, depending on what happens. Let's focus on what we can control.

Do you think it's possible to stay at the top to the end of the season? Or do you think because of the strength of other teams that the league will change?

It is possible. We will continue to win a lot of football matches. I'm sure we will be there.