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

July 19, 2023

Mikel Arteta

Arsenal

Audi Field

Press Conference

Arsenal 5, MLS 0

Q. How much did you enjoy that, especially Havertz's goal, and can you give us an update on Trossard, please?

MIKEL ARTETA: Great occasion, great atmosphere. It was great to see so many Arsenal supporters filling the stadium. Yeah, we had great moments in the game, moments especially in the first half, they weren't that great, but we're still very early in preseason. And it was great to see some debut with Jurrien and Auston and with Declan, obviously, and really pleased at the end with the results.

Trossard, he got a knock, and obviously we don't want to take any risk at this stage. He had some pain. We'll see how tomorrow he is, but I don't expect to be anything -- anything big.

Q. I wanted to ask about Matt Turner. First of all, do you expect him to join up with your team at any point during this U.S. tour, and also just wanted to ask about his outlook for the season. He got a lot of his playing time last year in the Europa League, and this year you're going to be in the Champions League, where your backup goalkeeper typically doesn't play. What do you expect to see from him this year?

MIKEL ARTETA: Well, first of all, the same as he did last year, which is a great contribution to the squad and a great contribution to the goalkeeping unit as well, because he's so competitive and keep everybody at their best level every single day.

Then when he played, he did great, with us, with the national team he has been superb as well. I think he's on the right trajectory. He needs some holidays. It's been a long, long year for him. I don't know how many competition he played, but so many. So he needed a break, and when he gets back from the break he will be back with us.

Q. When you see the stadium full of fans and dominant by Arsenal, how does that make you feel? What do you think?

MIKEL ARTETA: Well, it's great. We are a massive club that has a tremendous impact in world football. And it's great to see that whatever city you are in, you have that much support. We have people in the hotel waiting for us as well.

It was great to see that today, and I'm sure we are going to go to New York and it will be very similar, and we will go to L.A. as well.

It is great for the kids, for the boys as well to realize where they are, how privileged they are to represent this football club, and thank you to all of them for being here and for giving that support to the team.

Q. Are you glad to get a physical game, or would you prefer it to be --

MIKEL ARTETA: No, I want it as competitive, as competitive as it possibly can, and as well for those players who planned to play 45 minutes in the next few games, there will be other minutes for them, as well.

But, yeah, it was an opposition obviously. They are in the middle of the season and they are really fit in the moment. We are suffering in some moments with the heat and the conditions, and to adapt to the pitch as well.

But it's part of all the process in preseason, to try to adapt to different conditions and find a way to play well and win the game.

Q. You said that a few things went missing in the first half. I wonder what those are? And the three new signings in the second half, are they picking up the tactical positions really quickly and is that what you want?

MIKEL ARTETA: Yeah, they are, and we have to find that creativity within the game and those relationships. Sometimes it's very difficult to know as a head coach what is going to work, but sometimes -- they found that chemistry between them.

Especially the first half, the way we started, I think we are a bit suffocated with the weather and we started to give too many balls away and we could not really control the game. But it's true that we were in exceptional boxes today, and that's how we got in the final set in good position and put the ball in the back of the net, and we have to defend moments in transition. When we give the ball away, I think we defended really, really well.

Q. A lot of talk about Declan before the weekend, but Timber came in almost under the radar. Is he a really important signing? Can he give you a lot of options with the way he plays?

MIKEL ARTETA: I think you see tonight, he is a really versatile player. You see him at different positions, and within those positions, he gives you the capacity to convert or occupy different spaces. He's so comfortable in the ball in that phase, and his aggression in the duels, I really like that about him.

You saw from the first action, the high press, he win and he won the ball straightaway on that duel and he was ready to go. And he's been on that line the last few days. I think he's blend really well with the team, and I think he's going to be a very important player for us.

Q. Kai Havertz was moved around quite a bit for Chelsea last season, plays a false nine on the left, a deeper midfield role. How do you think he's adapted to that? Is he the kind of player who can play several positions for you?

MIKEL ARTETA: I think, again, that's one of main qualities that he has, and he gives you something very different with his quality, with his size, as well, when we have to beat the press, for example, and use him as a target man.

We will see. For now, he's playing the attacking position, but I'm sure throughout the season and throughout games, as well, we are going to have the option to use him in different positions.

Q. We spoke to Martin the other day, and he was talking about the new signings coming into your system and it can take time to learn the game model, and he spoke about the versatility of the players. Should we expect more variety and changes from Arsenal throughout the season?

MIKEL ARTETA: We'll have to see, but the idea is to be more improved every year and more difficult for the opponents to try and stop and nullify what we want to do. And I think we have now especially in the back and with the midfielders option that we have to go in the spaces, we have many more options than we had last year.

Q. You have, I believe, three Americans in your squad, Matt Turner obviously not here. Can you talk about the experience that they have had playing on home soil? I think we even got a few USA chants in the crowd today.

MIKEL ARTETA: Well, we want to give them the opportunity to play obviously, and both of them played, and Matt is not with us, but Auston and Folarin, I think they deserved that moment and get that recognition, and to play in the crowds, and I think they really enjoyed it.

Q. In terms of the perceptions of Arsenal in recent years, one is too nice on the pitch. With the squad that you've got now, do you think with the season ahead, that will to win could possibly stand out?

MIKEL ARTETA: What was the last part?

Q. Make you guys stand out in the season with attacking?

MIKEL ARTETA: We have to start doing the right things now in preseason to get the best possible preparation and get that chemistry and position within the team, and then we go step-by-step. It's a tremendous league and it's so competitive, and let's see how we start and where we go from there.