Mikel Arteta has revealed he has taken part in several Arsenal training matches this week ahead of their Premier League match against Everton.
The north London outfit will resume their league campaign at Goodison Park earlier today after making it three wins out of four this season, while the side currently sit fifth in the table, five points behind Manchester City at the top.
Although the 41-year-old delivered positive news about Bukayo Saka’s fitness last week, the squad has already suffered several injuries this season, with Mohamed Elneny, Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey all currently sidelined.
With a number of key players absent, Arteta relented Air sports that his team was down a few numbers this week and confirmed that he had to step in to take part in training matches this week as cover.
When asked about playing the Gunners boss, he said: ‘Well, it was forced! It wasn’t anything I wanted to do, but yes, we had one or two players and a few youth players who couldn’t participate.’
Mikel Arteta has revealed he has taken part in several Arsenal training matches this week ahead of their Premier League match against Everton
The Spaniard scored 16 goals in 150 appearances in all competitions while playing for Arsenal, retiring in 2016 to pursue a career in management.
The Spaniard, who scored 16 goals in 150 appearances in all competitions while playing for Arsenal, hung up his boots in 2016 to pursue a career in management.
But it appears the former Spain international was enjoying his return to the field of play, saying: ‘It was good, it was good training. I lost some weight and didn’t get hurt.’
He was also asked if he had injured anyone, to which Arteta immediately replied: ‘No!’ Before admitting that he was taking no prisoners with his team, he claimed that he had made a few slide tackles.
“I did a few, but I didn’t hurt anyone,” he added.
It comes after the manager vowed this summer to build a winning squad following last season’s title drop, but also, according to Skycriticized the size of his squad as ‘unsustainable’, despite saying he was happy with his cohort of players.
Arsenal play their fifth match of the new Premier League season today, having claimed ten points from their first four games and recorded wins against Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
They dropped two points against a 10-man Fulham side at the end of August after being held to a draw by the Cottagers, who saved the equalizer in the 87th minute through Joao Palhinha.
With the club hoping to do something better than their efforts last season, falling just short of winning the league title against Manchester City, Arteta gave an honest assessment of his team’s campaign so far by rating their performance out of ten, stating that there is still room for improvement.
“I would say if we had 12 points I would give them a 10,” he said. “But there are always some things we need to improve and do better.
‘Listen, we started by winning the trophy against Manchester City in the final (FA Community Shield), we should have won the four games, that’s for sure. We should have won it (their 2-2 draw against Fulham).
‘But the margins have been too small. And that’s probably what we need to do better to end games earlier. We have the dominance we have already shown and are more ruthless.”
The Gunners return to Champions League action for the first time since the 2016/17 season this week and host PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
The Gunners have been light on numbers this week, with several key stars picking up injuries at the start of the season
The Gunners have claimed 10 points from a possible 12, winning three of their first Premier League games while drawing one away to Fulham
The Gunners boss rated his side’s start to the season out of 10 but said there were things they needed to improve
But amid the excitement and prospect of returning to coveted European competition, Arteta stated he was not looking much further than today’s match against his former club Everton.
“We’re really excited about it,” he said at a press conference during their opening Champions League match on Friday.
‘First Everton and that’s the only one we have in mind. Our record speaks for itself, for six years we haven’t won there (at Goodison Park) so we’ll have to earn it and we’ll have to be at our best to beat them there and it’s something we’ve done. That didn’t work, that’s where we have to start.’
Arteta also revealed his soft spot for the Toffees, saying: ‘It’s a big emotional connection with that football club. The way they treat me and the years I spent there and the incredible memories I have there.
“I’m always grateful that it was a big part of my playing career and as a coach I have to play against them and obviously I want to beat them.”