#PremierLeagueStories – #MikelArteta on #ThomasPartey’s injury troubles & Arsenal’s top 4 credentials #AFC

Thomas Partey has only played the full 90 twice, did you see enough in those appearances to see that he could change the dynamic of the team and the way you play as a group? Absolutely and because obviously we are able to watch him in training. And who he is as well. I think he's got a different presence. I think he brings something different to the team. It's not just about his talent it's not, about his physicality, it's who he is as a person. He makes players better around him and that's a big quality. It's incredible that we are in January, we signed him in the summer and we only played him twice. So, we haven't really seen the impact that we believe he could have on the team. Obviously, we have missed him. On the other hand we've seen players stepping in as well. When that happens they give us some really positive news as well. But I think it's going to be a big bonus if we can keep him fit. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon8Cancel It's obviously a difficult time to move country and move clubs and try and settle in somewhere. Have you had to manage him psychologically as well as his injury and that side of things? Yes, because when you are injured you feel first of all the responsibility, when the club has made the effort that we made to sign him. He was so willing for months to be joining us. He really wants to be a part, he knows how much he can help. And then he had to deal with the injuries and the lockdown and moving into a new place, and that's been tough for him. That's why sometimes he was rushing and he wanted to do everything straight away because he's so willing to come back. He doesn't want to be alone at home. He's in a really good place to be fair. He settled really well in the dressing room, around the staff. He's a special character and hopefully we can see him on the pitch finally. You mentioned he tested negative for COVID was there a COVID issue with Thomas? No there wasn't no. Thomas Partey in action for Arsenal (Image: Richard Calver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Shkodran Mustafi has hardly played in the league this season and his contract expires at the end of the season. Do you expect him to leave this season or will you keep him as back up till the end? Well Musti came back from a really difficult injury when he got injured at the end of last season. After that period he was doing really well. I think his performances were increasing and getting better and better. And when he came back that's when we had seven or eight central defenders. So he had to get his performance level up. I think physically he still needed some time. Then he started to play some games in Europe which I think he did well as well. And now it's about, yeah, when do you make the next step to be the starter? And the reality is that we have to change that for different reasons, use different personnel. He's been very close in a few games. But now we've found as well a partnership that is giving us clean sheets, and sometimes when you do that it's difficult to change. But he's still in contention. And as for his future what do you think will happen with that? His future right now is here. Trying to help. We have Papa that probably is going to leave the club this window, we have William that has already gone on loan. So we don't have that many right now. Gabi has been out for a period, David has been injured, so the situation is completely different to before. Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles Looking at the league table the title race is closer than it has been in the past. Why do you think that is? Is it because of the special circumstances of the fixture list this season? I think so. I think the teams are not as consistent because everything around is not as consistent. We have to change everything, all the protocols. For example, to start our season with a pre-season, it didn't exist. We had two training sessions before we play the Community Shield, and then we started to play the league. The squads that we have to manage this year are bigger than ever. The restrictions we have for training to preparation they are stranger. There is no crowds. There is a lot going on. And maybe you can sustain that for a few months, but when it goes down to 10, 12 months it's more complicated. And you see it in other leagues as well. You see the league table in other leagues, and there is not any precedent in football like this. So it has to be something. We can imagine that there to that Nick, but it's difficult to say it's exactly that because it's the first time it happened. But something is going on that's for sure. Two weeks ago people were talking about you being in a relegation battle. Now you are looking at the top four. Is that an unrealistic target at the moment? Well today it's not because we haven't won those games. But that we know we've got the capacity to win those games, we're going to be looking at the season a completely different way. And this is where the motivation and now the positivity has to keep going to really go for it. Do you take heart from someone like Ole Gunar Solskjaer? When you beat them people were talking about him being sacked and now suddenly they are top of the league. This industry works like that. We are just based on results. And if you are guided by that, a game that is a very low score game it's a very dangerous thing to do, because the margins to win or lose is one goal. In other sports it doesn't happen. 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Have you sensed a change of mood around the club because of winning four games? Yes, because as we talked in previous weeks I think winning brings you something, even when not playing well, everything is so positive and fluid and energy's good. And losing is just a devastating thing to have around the place. And it is what it is.