Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attended the pre-match press conference ahead of the UEFA Champions League group stage matchday two home fixture against Lille. During the opening section, Arteta addressed injuries sustained by Hincapié and Zubimendi during post-match training, the team's attacking performance, Eze's limited playing time, emotional control during matches, and his assessment of former teammate Giroud.

Reporter: Hi, Mikel. First, could you give us an update on the team's injury situation? We saw Piero Hincapié seemingly injured after the match. What happened there? Obviously, it's very unfortunate. How is he doing now?

Arteta: What happened was we had a training session after the game for players who didn't get enough playing time, so everyone could recover properly on Sunday and maintain their match fitness. Unfortunately, we lost two players in two very unfortunate collisions. Yes, it's disappointing.

Reporter: What are their injuries? Was the other injured player Martín Zubimendi?

Arteta: Yes. We need to assess them. They will undergo further scans today to determine the exact situation, and then we will know the precise recovery period and how long they will be sidelined.

Reporter: Looking back at the weekend's game, you've had a few days to review it. What are your thoughts? And tomorrow you'll be facing Lille.

Arteta: Looking back at that game, there were still many positives. Obviously, the way we dealt with an extremely difficult situation and the way we turned the game around were excellent. Our performance in the early stages was also impressive. We do need to improve our finishing in the final third and our defensive performance in the box also needs to be better. Overall, especially after the international break, I am very satisfied with the result.

Reporter: So far this season, the team has shown excellent mentality, but there might still be room for improvement in attack, for example, the fluidity of play? How do you think that's progressing at the moment?

Arteta: I think it's progressing very well. We probably need to improve our finishing, but in terms of attacking creativity before the international break, I think it's better than any previous season. Of course, after that we played against Brighton in a completely different context. But I think we created some excellent positions and chances, and now what we need is to be more clinical and convert more opportunities into goals.

Reporter: I'd also like to ask about a specific player: Eberechi Eze. He's only started two games so far this season and was an unused substitute at the weekend. Do you have higher expectations for him? How would you assess his performance so far this season?

Arteta: Like everyone else, players have to earn their playing time through performance. This needs to be proven through daily training, and when they step onto the pitch, they also need to show the impact the game and team require to achieve our goals. He will have many opportunities in the future to prove himself. His attitude has always been impeccable, and we also need to adapt and utilize his individual technical qualities.

Reporter: Hello Mikel. For Hincapié and Zubimendi, in this kind of high-level competition, details often determine success or failure. Losing two players at once in post-match recovery training is far from ideal, isn't it?

Arteta: It's far from ideal, yes.

Reporter: What measures can be taken in the future to prevent similar situations from happening again?

Arteta: It's simple: don't train. If you never train, they won't get injured. But the consequence is that when they need to play, they'll be completely out of rhythm. When you put them on the field, they won't have any positive impact on the game. This can happen at the Emirates; it hasn't happened in the seven years I've been here. It can also happen in the next day's training session, which has happened before. Hopefully, it won't happen again. But what can you do? If I had a crystal ball, I would say: lads, everyone go to the jacuzzi, and we'll see you tomorrow.

Reporter: Regarding the scenes with Hincapié, he was actually carried off the field by the substitute goalkeeper, surrounded by many coaches and medical staff. Were you concerned about that at the time?

Arteta: That's another matter and not suitable for discussion here.

Reporter: Hi Mikel, how are you? Your team seems to have learned this season not to panic when things aren't going well. In Saturday's game, you were a goal down but remained composed. I watched the game against Napoli—you dominated, and although you couldn't score for a long time, the whole team remained calm and showed no panic. Can you explain how you've instilled this in the players? Maintaining composure and not rushing on the field is a very special skill.

Arteta: I think it's because no matter what the situation, we have to be emotionally dominant. That's easy to say, but very difficult to do in practice. We've done that in the vast majority of games, which is great. But we didn't do it against Brighton and we paid the price. So there are always lessons for the team to learn and improvements to make. This is crucial because in a high-intensity schedule with games every three days, unexpected situations are bound to happen on the field, and you must be able to adapt and solve these problems.

Reporter: Tomorrow you will face a familiar face – Olivier Giroud. Can you share some memories about him?

Arteta: Fantastic. We were teammates. First of all, he is a person with very good character and a great companion in the dressing room. As a player, I remember when he first arrived—he had just won Ligue 1 with Montpellier. He came here and had a profound impact on the team in a very unique way, with a technical style completely different from what we were used to. He has had an incredible career, and he fully deserves all the accolades.

Reporter: I actually think he and Kai Havertz have something in common; I think both are underestimated. Olivier especially, I think, is definitely severely underestimated.

Arteta: Certainly not in the eyes of his teammates, that's for sure. At least as far as I know, I don't know what others think. But first and foremost, he is an extremely intelligent player and very, very difficult to play against. I mean, every time he's on the field, he's a huge threat in the box. He plays very intelligently, is excellent at linking up with teammates, and his running and commitment are outstanding. So we certainly never underestimate him.

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