Ahead of Premier League Matchday 4, where Arsenal FC will travel to face Sunderland, previously embargoed comments from Arsenal FC manager Miguel Arteta's pre-match press conference have now been released.

Following up on your comments about pre-season preparation and creating challenges for the players, could you give us some examples? For instance, did you deliberately make travel arrangements more difficult?

(Laughs) We can't quite do that, but we have intentionally delayed meal times, pushed back travel schedules, and taken longer routes. We've tried many things: raising the temperature in the dressing room, creating a more demanding environment, reducing the number of beds available. In my view, all of this is because we need to adapt to different competitive conditions we'll face in the future. We try to anticipate and create the best conditions in advance, but when unexpected situations or pressure arise on match day, I think that experience is invaluable.

Regarding Declan Rice—although he has limited appearances this season, he seems to be playing in a deeper position, similar to the number 6 role he initially played when he joined. Is this positional change intentional, or is it related to his high number of minutes and running distances last season?

He continues to run and cover ground tirelessly, just in a different role. I think this is simply about optimizing collaboration within and across the team so he can maximize his qualities for the overall benefit of the squad, particularly when opponents employ certain tactical approaches against us. Declan is completely capable of playing any role and performing excellently in it. But for now, I think he feels very comfortable with his current playing style. He's working alongside different midfield partners, and he'll continue to adapt his play based on our tactical needs in the future.

On Wednesday he said he was ready to play 65 games this season. Do you feel the same way? Do you want him to play that much, or would you prefer to manage his workload to some degree?

Ready? I think he's completely prepared. But I think the key point is his performance in those matches and the quality of those minutes, and whether the team genuinely needs him to carry that heavy load. We need to assess this intelligently—not just to unlock his maximum potential, but to ensure he delivers the quality we need every minute he's on the pitch.

Hello Miguel, I'd like to ask about the team's playing style this season. That second goal last Sunday was excellent, and in recent matches, you've generated over 4 expected goals (xG) while last season's runners-up had less than 0.5 xG in comparison. Is the team's dominance in these kinds of matches a natural development, or is it a result of injured players returning? What are your thoughts? How pleased are you personally with this level of praise?

Of course, we must continue to develop and improve in specific areas, and this is what we genuinely prioritize. Now that several players have returned, the options and cooperation the entire team displays are much stronger. We'll continue with this playing style. This has always been our intention. Sometimes it depends on our opponents' strength, and sometimes on our tactical execution. We must continuously raise our operational standards to play effectively and dominantly throughout the match, and we'll continue working in this direction.

Are you personally pleased with this, given that you played for teams with an attractive style during your playing career, and you yourself were a technically gifted player? Beautiful football—not just winning, but winning beautifully—has always been your goal, hasn't it?

Yes, absolutely. I think entertainment is important, but the key is ensuring that what we envision materializes on the pitch—with control, possession, and attacking threat. From what I've seen so far, I'm very pleased with what the team has shown.

Hello Miguel, following the question about Declan's workload, I'd like to ask about this from a broader team perspective. Many of your players competed in knockout tournaments during international competitions this summer and had short off-seasons. Are you concerned about this for the long season ahead? Will this be a consideration when selecting your squad?

Yes, absolutely. We're clearly aware of player workload. This isn't just physical burden but also mental and emotional stress for every player. For this reason, each player has an individualized workload management plan. We don't just monitor their playing time; we also assess meeting duration, travel, and mental energy expenditure in positions requiring significant tactical input. We must be very careful about this. We also need to consider whether the depth of our squad allows us to make appropriate rotation decisions. Hopefully we can, and if circumstances permit, squad selection will certainly be more justified without question.

The upcoming international break will bring a three-week pause. What do you think about this? Given your strong start, it could disrupt your momentum, which seems undesirable. But on the other hand, perhaps some players could use this opportunity to rest.

That still depends on how many players we have available at that time. The fixture schedule is quite different from before. In the past, we often said three consecutive international breaks were too congested. Now we're down to two, so we'll adapt to it. This is a new situation, and we'll try to turn it into a positive factor.

Hello Miguel, there was news yesterday that your contract extension is nearly complete and will be signed soon. I understand you may not reveal the exact signing date, but I'm curious—when you first arrived at Arsenal FC, did you expect to manage the club this long and sign another extended contract, especially considering you played under Arsène Wenger, who managed here for a very long time?

When I first took the position, the only thing on my mind was probably: what should I do today? Just dealing with immediate circumstances was challenging enough, especially given my lack of experience managing a big club previously. So you simply take it one step at a time and do well each day. Many years have passed quickly, and I'm genuinely happy and grateful to have reached this point. As for the future, we'll see.

You've achieved league success now, but the contract extension seems inevitable. Looking ahead, what is your goal? How long do you think you'll manage here?

Live each day. Of course, we must have a great long-term vision: to make Arsenal FC the world's number one club. I think there's no doubt that this is our direction. But to achieve this goal, you must do many specific things each day to increase the chances of reaching it. In this process, you must rely heavily on the people around you: first, our club owner—thank you for the unwavering ambition and drive to take the club to the top. Second, the deep commitment built between the coaching staff, players, and especially the fans to create the right environment and ecosystem for everyone to work together toward that same ambition and achieve that goal through daily effort.

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