Football

“When he came in he was unbelievable” : Mikel Arteta lavishes praise on Arsenal forward’s performance at Villa Park In all the top flight leagues, squad depth for a club may well be the most essential thing to bring home the league title. Due to the season being very long, players get injured more often than not. Fortunately for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, that is one thing they need not worry about. The Gunners defeated Aston Villa at their home 2-0, thanks to Leandro Trossard’s spectacular performance off the bench. The Belgian scored minutes after coming on and was the heart of the attack throughout the second half. Thomas Partey gave Arsenal their second goal leading to a fantastic result for the North London club in their quest to clinch the league title this season. The Spainard was delighted by the 29-year-old winger’s performance and was all praises for him post-match. He also suggested that the Belgian is an example for the rest of the team and that more players with this kind of mentality are needed in the sport. “The competition is big, we have great players in each position and they are gonna have to accept that. We have a huge season ahead of us and you need players to impact. He did last year when he started, when he was a sub today he did that, he gave us a headache now for the weekend,” said the 42-year-old (via Sky Sports). Mikel Arteta reveals that Leandro Trossard was upset after the match Scoring minutes after coming on, the Belgian had somewhat of a nonchalant reaction which led to fans debating and having mixed opinions about it. Some thought it was Trossard’s way of having a ‘cold’ celebration while others hinted that the Belgian reacted this way to give his coach a sign that he should be in the starting lineup. When asked about the celebration, the 29-year-old indirectly confirmed his wish to be a starter. “Everyone wants to start and play games, it’s nice to help the team and score goals. There are so many emotions. When you score, it’s like you don’t know what is happening,” said the super-sub. Mikel Arteta also spoke about this and confirmed that the Belgian was visibly upset, but not necessarily for reasons fans and media are thinking about. “When you don’t get picked there are certain ways to react, for Leo, he is upset, he is upset to show on the pitch how good he is. Not upset because he is not playing. And that is a huge quality. When you put him in the starting XI he does the exact same thing and that is a big example for the rest of the team. When he came in he was unbelievable. That is what we need,” said the Gunners manager. The Gunners’ next challenge will be facing an unbeaten Brighton side, which also happens to be Leandro Trossard’s former club. The Belgian will more than likely receive the chance (or even get to start) against his ex-team and show Mikel Arteta that he is capable of being a bona fide starter for the team. Also Read: “It’s one of the toughest places to go” : Mikel Arteta speaks ahead of tricky trip to Villa Park

“We want more” : Arsenal players are keen on lifting the Premier League title The story of Mikel Arteta as the Gunners manager has been one of improvement season by season. The club has gone from a mid-table team fighting for Champions League spots to a genuine table-topper contender. After two very close misses to none other than Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, the Arsenal players seem to have had enough. There is only one objective for the Gunners this season – win the Premier League title after two long decades of wait. The squad has been strengthened at each position and everything points to season 24/25 finally being the crowning moment of Mikel Arteta and co.’s careers. “I think we had a gathering together with all the club players and the players said to me, ‘We’re going to do it, we want more’. We’re not going to stop here and we want much more. We know how we want to evolve and how the players can evolve. Those margins are huge and we have to fill them,” the 42-year-old said (via Reuters). But actions speak louder than words, as it is up to the Spainard to put on his thinking cap and assess what differences they have to make this season. Not like there are any serious issues or injuries that they have had in past seasons, but the problem is who they are competing with. What can Mikel Arteta do to finally bring home the League title? The better question might be what is left for the Spaniard to do to dethrone the dynasty that has been built by his mentor, Pep Guardiola, since his arrival in 2016. Many managers who are more experienced and qualified than Arteta, have tried but failed to do so, including Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel, the list goes on. Pep Guardiola has won the last 6 of the 7 Premier League titles, including four consecutively. This type of dominance has never been seen before in the English league since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. Well, for starters, the left half and left back department will gain massive boosts with the newest signing of the Italian Riccardo Calafiori and the return of the Dutch fullback Jurrien Timber. The signing of Mikel Merino is still on the cards as the Spainard desperately wants the midfielder’s physicality and technical abilities on the ball. Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and William Saliba will have to be at their best this season, leading their respective positions. The form of certain players will be key from the beginning of the season, with Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli proving themselves during pre-season. Mikel Arteta will also have to trust the North London club’s promising academy players like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly to provide something new and different coming off the bench. The Gunners had a record breaking 23/24 season, as they ended their campaign with their most wins (28), most goals (91) and best-ever goal difference (plus-62) in a Premier League season but it was still not enough. They would surely be hoping for City to finally slip up, and with the departure of key forward Julian Alvarez and off-pitch issues like the 115 alleged breaches of Premier League rules, things are off to a great start if you are a Gunners fan. Also Read: “He brings a lot of versatility” : Mikel Arteta pleased with latest Arsenal signing

“He brings a lot of versatility” : Mikel Arteta pleased with latest Arsenal signing The Gunners have ended their pre-season camp with a satisfactory 2-0 win over French club Olympique Lyon. Head coach Mikel Arteta declared their pre-season tour successful as he feels all players have been tested and warmed up before the start of the 24/25 Premier League season. The fans and coaching staff were specifically excited to witness the debut of Arsenal’s newest member, Riccardo Calafiori. The 22-year-old Italian defender has had quite the year for himself, as he has quickly risen up to the ranks to secure this big move. Riccardo Calafiori helped Serie A side Bologna secure a Champions League berth for the first time since the 1960s. He was also Italy’s best player in the UEFA Euros 2024, and gained massive recognition and fan following which led to the Gunners splashing £42m on him this summer. Mikel Arteta says Calafiori felt the ‘love’ of the fans  The former Bologna defender was cheered and welcomed as soon as he stepped foot on the pitch, a gesture that made Mikel Arteta grateful for the fans. He addressed it post-match to give thanks to the people’s unwavering support. “I just love it when the fans react like that to one of your own, the way you feel it straight away, its love, you are respected, they are right behind you. And that’s an unbelievable platform for someone to join our club. That’s the platform for many players to join our club.” said Arteta. The Italian made an impressive debut at left-back and switched to the centre later on, all while not putting a foot wrong. The Spainard was mighty impressed by the defender, as he praised him to the media and set huge expectations across his shoulders. “He brings a lot of versatility because he can play in two or three different positions and especially in attack, he can occupy different spaces because he’s a real defender. When you see his presence, his physicality, how he goes to the duels, he’s unbelievable. Obviously, he’s done a lot last year and I think he’s a player that can improve us.” said the 42-year-old (via GOAL). “We are managing them, it’s a lot of new things for him. It’s a big step up, but he’s so willing as you could see, for the 20 minutes that he played, he’s so energetic, so passionate, a really intelligent player. He’s going to give us a lot.” the Arsenal manager added. Although Arsenal has one of the strongest sides in the league with players stacked in each position, they are not done yet in the transfer market, as Arteta wants to add another Spainard, Mikel Merino in the mix. Their Premier League season starts on August 17, taking on the Wolves, where Riccardo Calafiori is expected to get some minutes, or even be a starter.