Arsenal news 257

Bukayo Saka on Sky Sports:

“We’ve finished second three times in a row — everyone knows that. But this time, we believe it’s our year.

We have a strong squad and everything it takes, but we’re staying humble and grounded because we haven’t achieved anything yet.

We’re taking it game by game, starting with Sunday. People can talk we don't care

🚨 Confirmed: Peter Bankes has been appointed referee for Arsenal vs. Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. John Brooks is on VAR.

🚨OFFICIAL: Arsenal will play Sporting CP in the Champions League quarter-finals✅

At 16 years and 74 days, Max Dowman becomes the youngest-EVER goalscorer in Premier League history 😮‍💨👶🔴

come on you Gunners

Kai's goal means it ends all square in Leverkusen 👊

Let's settle this at Arsenal Stadium, Gunners.

🚨 Yamal on English football after facing Newcastle:

“You receive the ball and it feels like you’ve stolen something. Three players come immediately. I don’t know how technical players like Bruno survive there.”

Arteta on Team news: "Ødegaard "Is out."

Calafiori and Trossard: "Those two are a possibility, we will see tomorrow."

Gabriel and Saliba: "Yes"

Rice and Zubimendi: "Yes."

Arteta On the squad being better prepared: "This is football and you have to show it tomorrow night. Champions League is about the day, and within that day there are moments."

Arteta On Lewis-Skelly: "Every season is different, he had moments in the season. He was suspended. Sometimes, the good form of your teammates but he is doing well."

Arteta On the learnings from last seasons: "Yes you learn about the things you did well. You learn about the things you can improve."

Arteta On Kai Havertz: "Well not too much to be fair because in our league we don't have much time. But I did speak to him, he spent 10 incredible years here. How important this part of the journey was for him"

Havertz On Kai's fitness: "Yeah now it has been three weeks that he has had total consistency."

Arteta On the chances of winning something: "I live in the present, and I prepare for everything that I expect, and I feel inspired to inspire those players to play the same way. This is football, their is so much to do."

[Tom Canton]

THE FA CUP QUARTER FINAL DRAW 🏆

Southampton v Arsenal
Chelsea v Port Vale
Man City v Liverpool
West Ham/Brentford v Leeds

The quadruple is really on for Mikel Arteta 💃

Arteta on being favourites for the game: "Yes, but I think I've been in this country long enough to understand that being favourites doesn't mean anything when it comes to that competition. At that time of the day, in that ground, I know that they're going to have the belief, the hope, the conviction that they can beat us, and we need to be very well prepared."

Arteta on motivating players for the game: "We have played very similar games now in other competitions or in the FA Cup as well, so we are very well aware of what the game is going to demand, so from [Thursday], we will prepare for that."

Arteta on Mansfield’s pitch: "It's normal. It's the beauty of this competition as well. You have to go there, you have to adapt. Since I was little, we've all been playing in those stadiums or worse, so you need to adapt to that context and make the most out of it."

Arteta on if the early kick-off presents a problem: "It is what it is, we know that. I've been here long enough, it’s nothing to do with us."

Arteta on if the pitch condition affects team selection: "It can do, especially if there is a player that is carrying some injuries that the pitch can affect him in the wrong way, especially certain muscles, but hopefully we're going to have the ones that we need fit and available."

Arteta on if losing in the FA Cup can damage confidence in other competitions: "It can, but hopefully we're going to do what we have to do and try to earn the right to win the game."

Arteta on if Saliba’s ankle injury was the same ankle as before: "No, it's the other one. We saw after the game he wasn't comfortable to finish the game and after that, straight away, he didn't have a good feeling. So let's see if he recovers quickly.

On his availability for Mansfield:
"I doubt it."

[Arsenal]

Rosenior on Arsenal: "I think the beautiful thing about football is you can play any way that you want to play. If you believe in it. They believe in what they do. Everybody has a different idea. That's why you have different managers with different styles. I'm not there to judge. I don't judge any other team. I respect every team in the way that they go about things and you have to find a way to adapt and overcome that."

Michael Owen on Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler’s criticism of Arsenal:

“Hürzeler might change his mind if he’s going for a title. Then and any old win will do. Listen, Arsenal have played well for the vast majority of the season and it’s the oldest saying in the football book, sometimes you’ve got to win playing ugly. Arsenal have done that as well this season and fair play to them. They find a way of winning.

“That’s starts in Arsenal’s case with having a very strong defence, a very good goalkeeper and a very organised defence, a solid midfield. They aren’t what Liverpool have been, aren’t what Manchester City have been over the last decade or so. Basically blitzing teams scoring loads of goals but also conceding a few as well so they’re not that style of play.

“They are well drilled and as soon as they score one you rarely see them not picking up the points. Of course they had a bit of a blip at Wolves not so long ago. Apart from that when they score you can just see them shutting out games. They hardly created anything last night but Brighton didn’t really look like scoring either. Brighton had a lot of pressure but Arsenal defended their box really well.”