#PLStories- Mikel Arteta on Saliba’s injury, Martinelli’s miss and bouncing back from Europa League exit #ARSENALFC
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Mikel Arteta Arsenal
How much of a disappointment?
Yeah, a huge blow. We really wanted to go through in the competition and fight and go for it. Today we tried for 120 minutes and penalties and it wasn’t enough. Congrats to Sporting Lisbon firstly. Looking at ourselves it started difficult losing Tomi and Saliba and that made it hard to manage the game because we only had a window to make the subs and a few players couldn’t play 90 minutes. Still, we didn’t find our rhythm and flow, allowed too many spaces, were late, didn’t dominate there and gave the ball away many times, sometimes time after time. Then in the last 20 minutes we got our flow, we got the momentum, we deserved much more. We created three big chances and didn’t core. When we went to extra time we showed incredible energy again and top mentality when it wasn’t our best day to keep going. We had another big two chances and didn’t win. At the end, it came to the penalties and it’s a lottery and it didn’t go our way today.
How are Tomiyasu and Saliba?
I don’t know. Tomiyasu looks pretty serious from his reaction straight and what he said to me, but obviously, it’s very early. Willy? I don’t know, he had some discomfort and could not continue so we had to take him out.
Given the injuries how worried are you about the long-term impacts?
We’ve been carrying injuries throughout the season. We had Emile out for four months, Jesus for four months, Thomas for a month and a half, Alex for two and half months, Eddie for a month and a half. We had quite a lot of injuries already, but we dealt with them. The disappointment is not going to go away it’s there now. But there’s also clarity. It’s 11 games to go now and we have a final against Crystal Palace. We have to recover and put all the focus there and win.
Was the plan to take Jesus off at half time?
Yeah. We decided to do that because we had to manage the subs. Thank God we did take him out, especially after the two windows that we had to use in the first half. That was the plan. Leo is coming from an injury as well and we knew the game could go to extra time and we had to manage that. He looked OK.
Is this a blessing in disguise for the title race?
I cannot see that today that way. You go through the competition and you win it’s magnificent. If not and it affects your plans in the league that’s a different story, but we wanted to go through. We put everything and with the effort that the boys put when it wasn’t our best day individually and collectively, the hunger and desire that they showed to win it was incredible. We really wanted it and it didn’t happen. We need to put our heads up, look for Palace. It’s what it is. There are 11 games and the first one starts on Sunday.
How is Martinelli and how will he react?
He will react well. Obviously disappointed today. We all are. When you take those decisions that possibility is there. He will learn from it like Bukayo did in the past and move on.
How important is it that you don’t let the players feel down for too long?
No. We gave everything. It wasn’t our day, we weren’t at our best individually and collectively, but they gave every drop of effort that they could on that pitch. That wasn’t enough. But if we do things better on Sunday than we did today we’ll have a good chance to win the game.
What was the immediate message in the training room?
Just that we are all disappointed. We have to look at ourselves, things that we have to do better to win the game and have bigger margins to win the game and not have to rely on the last 20 minutes and extra time to win the game to go through in the competition. Now the 11 games that we have is the only focus that we have. Everybody is thinking about one thing and that’s Palace, being in the best mental and physical condition to win that game.
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