Ahead of the Premier League's 4th matchday, where Arsenal will play away at Sunderland, the previously embargoed content from Arsenal manager Arteta's pre-match press conference has now been released following the embargo period.

Following what you were saying earlier about pre-season and creating challenges, can you give us an example? For instance, did you deliberately try to disrupt flights?

(Laughs) We can't do that yet. But we would intentionally delay meal times, postpone transport schedules, take longer routes. We've tried many things: increase the temperature in the dressing room, create a more difficult and challenging environment, reduce bed comfort. In my opinion, we do these things because in the future we'll need to adapt to various different match environments. We try to anticipate and create the best possible conditions, but when unexpected situations or pressure arise on match day, I think this experience is very valuable.

Regarding Declan Rice, although the sample size this season is still small, he seems to be playing deeper, somewhat like the number 6 defensive midfield role he had when he arrived. Was changing his position a deliberate tactical choice? Is this related to the extremely high number of appearances and distance covered he had last season?

He continues to run tirelessly and cover ground, but his role is different. I think this is purely to build the right synergy within the team and off it, allowing him to maximize his qualities to serve the whole team, especially when opponents adopt certain tactics against us. Declan is more than capable of doing this; you can put him in any role, and he can handle it. But for now, I think he feels very comfortable with his current style of play. He's played with different midfield partners and will continue to adjust his style according to the team's tactical needs in the future.

He said on Wednesday that he's ready to play 65 more games this season. Do you feel the same? Do you want him to play that many, or do you want to help reduce his workload to some extent?

Ready? I think he's completely prepared. But I think the key is his effectiveness in these games, in these minutes, and whether the team really needs him to carry such a heavy load. We need to assess that very carefully, not only to bring out his best performance, but also to ensure he delivers the quality we need every minute he's on the pitch.

Hello, Mikel. I'd like to ask about the team's style of play this season. Sunday's second goal was brilliant; and in a recent match, you created over 4 expected goals (xG), while last year's Serie A champions had less than 0.5 xG. Is the team's ability to dominate matches like this a natural evolution, or is it down to the return of injured players? What do you think? How much personally do you enjoy receiving such praise?

Obviously, we must continue to evolve and improve in specific areas, and that's precisely where we concentrate our efforts. Now, with many players returning, the options and chemistry demonstrated across the team are much stronger. We'll continue to play this way; it's always been our intention. Sometimes it depends on the opponent's strength, and sometimes on our tactical execution. We must continually raise our execution standards to play more efficiently and dominantly throughout the match, and we'll continue working in that direction.

Do you personally enjoy it? Because you always played for teams with elegant playing styles as a player, and you yourself were a technical player. Playing beautiful football, not just winning but winning with style, has always been your objective?

Yes, absolutely. I think entertainment is important, but the key is ensuring that what we envision on the pitch is delivered, with that sense of control, dominance, and offensive threat mentality. So far, I'm really enjoying what the team is showing.

Hello, Mikel. Following up on the question about Declan's workload, I'd like to ask about the team as a whole. Many of your players were involved in knockout stages of international tournaments this summer, so their rest was short. Does that concern you for the long season ahead? Will that be a factor in your team selection?

Yes, we're obviously very aware of the players' workload. This isn't just physical load; there's also cognitive and psychological load for each player. Because of that, each player has a personalized load management plan. We don't just monitor their playing time, but we also comprehensively evaluate meeting duration, travel fatigue, and the mental effort involved in positions that require heavy tactical input. We need to remain highly vigilant about that. We also need to consider squad depth and whether it can support us in making the right rotation decisions. We hope we can do that, and if conditions allow, team selection decisions will certainly be more balanced.

The next international break will bring a three-week interruption. What do you think about that? Given your good start, it could disrupt your rhythm and seems less than ideal; but on the other hand, perhaps some players can take the opportunity to rest.

That depends on how many players we'll have available at that point. The calendar arrangement is really different from before. In the past, we often said three consecutive international breaks were very dense; now it's two, so we'll adapt to that. This is a new situation, and we'll try to turn it into a positive factor.

Hello, Mikel. There were reports yesterday that the draft of your contract extension is nearly complete and about to be signed. I know you probably won't reveal the exact signing date, but I'm curious—when you first came to Arsenal, did you expect to be here this long and sign another long-term contract? Especially considering you played under Arsène Wenger, who managed here for so long.

When I first took over, the only thing on my mind was probably: What do I need to do today? Dealing with the immediate situation was challenging enough, especially since I had no previous experience managing a senior team. So you just have to take it one day at a time and do your job well every day. Some years have passed, and I'm genuinely happy and grateful to have come this far. As for the future, let's wait and see.

You've obviously already won the league title, but a contract extension seems inevitable. Looking to the future, what are your objectives? How long do you think you can manage here?

Live well each day. Of course, we must have a great long-term vision, which is to make Arsenal the number one club in the world. I think there's no doubt that should be our direction. But to achieve that objective, you need to implement a lot of specific work every day to increase the probability of success. In this process, you must trust the people around you deeply: first, our club's owners, for their firm ambition and drive to take the club to the top; second, the strong connection established between the coaching staff, the players, and especially the supporters, to create the right environment and ecosystem where everyone works together toward the same aspiration, realizing it through daily effort.

Traduzido por IA.

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