2023 MLS ALL-STAR GAME: MLS ALL-STARS VS ARSENAL

July 18, 2023

Mikel Arteta

Martin Ødegaard

Eddie Nketiah

Arsenal

Audi Field

Press Conference

Q. You are in a group chat with managers from different sports, different leagues, including the NBA and NFL. Are there any principles or ideas you take from different sports, from American sports, into your own coaching style at Arsenal?

MIKEL ARTETA: Yeah, sure. It's always great to be connected with coaches that have various experiences in other sports, in other leagues, in other countries. And yeah, we have a group that we chat about many different topics, and for me, it's really rich to understand other sports, other ways of thinking, other ways of coaching, as well, and leading, which in the end is what we do.

Yeah, it's been a big learning process for me.

Q. Wondering if either of the players could speak on the spectacle that you're part of, this experience of being at this uniquely North American thing, and whether you enjoy it or whether you think there's maybe some things that perhaps Europe could learn from something like this, or not?

MARTIN ØDEGAARD: Yeah, I think it's great to be here. I think that we had a great experience here last year to connect with the fans from different areas. It's great to see all the love we get here and to see different cultures. And yes, we had a great time here last year, and I'm looking forward again to play in front of the fans and to connect with them and hopefully give them a good experience with some good performances.

Yeah, just happy to be here and excited to play again.

EDDIE NKETIAH: Just adding to that, it's a lovely experience to be out here. We always enjoy our trips to the States and to test ourselves against different opposition and play in different stadiums and connect with different sets of fans. Our fans out here are really good and really great. Every time I've come here in preseason, I've really enjoyed it.

We are really excited for the game and grateful for the opportunity to be here and the love we receive. So we hope to put on a good show for the fans.

MIKEL ARTETA: Yeah, very excited. Tomorrow's experience is going to be great. It starts tonight, obviously, with all of the challenges the players have against each other. It's going to be a special, unpredictable game obviously because we are going to play and change a lot of players, as well.

It's great to be invited and be part of this, and hopefully we can give something back to the fans to cheer.

Q. For you, Coach, this league is almost 30 years old, but now probably it is the center of the world for many reasons, especially with Messi coming in. What did you experience prior to this and how do you see the MLS for the last 25 years, and what do you expect it to be from now on?

MIKEL ARTETA: Well, obviously the history and the way the league has developed over the last 20 years is phenomenal. The traction that it's getting across Europe now, as well, it's very different to what it was before, and now the decision that they made to take the league much further by bringing top talent and the best-ever football player in this planet who is going to put the league in the spotlight, I think it was a very clever move and something really good, not only for the league but everybody who is connected to it.

Q. What advantage do you have in this game considering it's just your second preseason game? The rhythm is really different. Those players from MLS, they are going on and playing for their teams.

MIKEL ARTETA: Hopefully the rhythm won't be different and our rhythm will be better than theirs. That's what we are hoping. We always want to play our way, be dominant, and it doesn't matter who we play against. That's the attitude that we have towards it, is it's early in preseason, and we know that, and the teams that we are going to be playing the next few days are going to be very different.

But tomorrow is going to be a challenge, and the heat is going to play a part as well, the conditions. But we have to get used to it to play the way we want to play in any circumstances, and it's a great test for us.

Q. What have been your impressions of Balogun, having the chance to play with him this preseason so far and seeing the way that he's grown as a player?

EDDIE NKETIAH: Yeah, obviously Flo is a really good player. A lot of Americans are excited now that he's made the switch over, and obviously we followed his progress last season. He had a really good season.

It's good to have him back, obviously. All the other boys that have come back, it's good to reintegrate and have them back.

Obviously they want to show their colleagues and impress, like we all do. We are really happy to have him back and wish him all the best and hopefully he can impress and help us in the preseason to win the games that we have coming up.

MARTIN ØDEGAARD: Yeah, same. Just happy to see him do well. Last year in France, had a great season. He's a big talent, a boy who works hard and very hungry to improve all the time.

Yeah, just happy for him and excited to see him again in the games now, and hopefully he can do well and score some goals.

Q. Eddie, you stepped in last season when Jesús was injured and performed brilliantly for the team. On a personal note, what did that mean to you to prove yourself when the pressure was really on? And to Martin, wanted to know what it meant to you to be made captain of Arsenal Football Club by Mikel?

EDDIE NKETIAH: Yeah, obviously, I think it's every player's, obviously, dream to play and to help the team. So obviously I pride myself on working hard throughout the season and in the off-season when we come in, training hard. I was really confident coming in to the team and I can help.

Obviously it helps me when you have great players like Martin behind me to play well. I'm grateful for the opportunity that the coach gave me, and yeah I'm just hungry for more. I think obviously, we had a really good and successful year, not just myself, but everyone developed, evolved and really contributed. I think as a player, that's the best feeling knowing that you contributed to something for the greater good and a greater achievement.

Obviously we didn't go all the way but we came close and made a lot of progress. We are hungry to help and to achieve big things this season. Hopefully I can have my role and part to play in that, and hopefully the team can perform and win some things together.

MARTIN ØDEGAARD: Yeah, of course, great honor and of course very proud to be named captain. Yeah, to have this trust from Mikel and the club and the players and everyone, it means a lot to me, so it's something I'm very proud of and something I enjoy, the responsibility, learning all the time and trying to improve my role as a leader. I'm very proud and very happy to do that.

Q. Wayne mentioned earlier that he did not think the concept of an All-Star Game would work in England. Just generally speaking, how do you sort of view an All-Star Game just as an idea, and do you agree that it wouldn't maybe work out so well in England?

MIKEL ARTETA: For me as an Arsenal coach to play against the MLS All-Stars, it's great. I love the idea and I love the experience, and I think it's great.

If you ask me the other way around, depending where it was in the middle of the season, probably wasn't that happy to let our players go. But I think it's great. I think it's great for the players to gather together the most talented players in the same team. I think if I was a player for sure, I'd want to experience that, and it's something that, why not, in the future, it can be done.

Q. Just to clarify, Declan was on --

MIKEL ARTETA: I was surprised nobody was asking about it.

Q. Well, there you go. He was on a bike yesterday, and I know he came to you late. Is that an injury -- is he likely to be involved tomorrow?

MIKEL ARTETA: No, we just wanted to manage him. Obviously a lot has happened to him in the last five or six days. He had a very hectic schedule, and he had a few trainings sessions that went really good. But prior to that, he didn't do much before he joined us.

So we wanted to just manage him. He trained today with us. He was in good form and yeah, he's fine.

Q. When it was announced that the two of you, when you were younger, were released the same day from Chelsea, can you talk about your memories of that, how difficult that was to overcome and now what it's like to come full circle against the most British player in the Premier League?

MIKEL ARTETA: Yeah, obviously I have a good relationship with Dec. We first played together in Nines. We started in the Under 9s at Chelsea. You can imagine as a kid we have done a lot of games together, a lot of traveling. Me and his dad, obviously my dad and his dad, were very supportive. They were at every game.

So we started to built a bit of a relationship and traveled together. It's amazing, as you said, we all got released on the same day as Under 14, and as you can imagine, it's very tough to take and shows the character that we both have obviously to come back. Obviously I went the Arsenal route, and he obviously went to West Ham.

So it's great and it's funny how life works, that we are all back here and playing for Arsenal and hopefully being able to do well together and achieve.

I'm really proud of the progress he's made, obviously seeing him as a kid and the man he's grown into now. I'm really happy to have him here and I'm sure he's going to help us a lot. Like I said, we all want to win together, so hopefully he can be another piece of the puzzle to bring us closer to where we want to be.

Q. Having played up the road last year in Baltimore where you had a lot of support, what does it mean to have such healthy support in the D.C. area for fans to come watch, something a lot of fans don't get to do throughout the year?

MARTIN ØDEGAARD: Yeah, as I said before, I think it's amazing to come here and see all the fans we have here. I think for them as well, it's nice to see us play. I know the time is a bit difficult for the fans here to watch us play, and yeah, it can be difficult.

So it's nice to come here and feel the love and give the support of something back and as I said, we want to give them a good performance. Hopefully they will have fun tomorrow, and yeah, just thank them for the support now and also throughout the whole season.

The support has been unreal for us, of course in, London and at the Emirates, but also all around the world. Yeah, just grateful for all the love we get and for all the help.