Mikel Arteta on conference today

 🔴⚪️ Arteta: “We need our people playing every single ball with us. That’s going to make a huge difference”.

“At this stage you need your home stadium to create a special atmosphere for momentum. Don’t just come to watch. Come to play the game with us”.

Mikel Arteta and Saka pre-Real Madrid news conference today.

Arteta on if everyone is fine: “It looks like it. We have another training session this afternoon.”

Arteta asked if he’s decided what to do with Gabriel being out: “Yes.”

Arteta on if Saka can start vs. Real Madrid: “He’s in a much better place. Gradually we have built his minutes. He’s in a good place to be used.”

Arteta: “We need our people playing every single ball with us. That’s going to make a huge difference. It’s really needed. At this stage you need your home stadium to create a special atmosphere for momentum. Don’t just come to watch. Come to play the game with us.”

Arteta: “It’s clear what we want to achieve tomorrow. We’re going to go for it.”

Saka on being injured: “It was tough. It came at a bad moment. It feels good now and I’m positive. I couldn’t ask to come back at a better time than now.”

Saka on if this is the biggest game he’s played: “In an Arsenal shirt it probably will be, yeah.”

Saka on Arsenal producing superstars: “This is Arsenal. It’s what we do. We’ve done it in the past. I hope we can continue to keep doing it so we can save more money.” 

Saka on contract extension: “I want to win wearing this badge. It’s pretty clear the fans know how much I love them. You saw them when I returned, I think they love me back so it’s a good relationship. I’m really happy to be here. I’m just focused on winning at Arsenal.”

Saka: “The biggest thing I take when I speak to Thierry [Henry] is the confidence he has in himself. He genuinely believed when he was on the pitch nobody could stop him. With that belief he destroyed the league. That’s what I admire about him the most.”

Saka on Nwaneri: “I think he’s an exceptional talent. He has that natural ability. He has similar qualities to me such as how he strikes the ball. I’m happy to see how he’s evolving.”

Saka on winning the Ballon d'Or: “Yeah, it’s a dream. I’m just working hard to do the best for my team. Any individual awards that come I’ll accept them.”

Saka: “The focus is on winning here [Arsenal] first before anything else.”

Saka on speaking to Jude Bellingham about the tie: “I had a brief chat with him in the changing room. Nothing much was said to be fair.”

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka recently reflected on the mental benefits of his enforced break due to a hamstring injury sustained in December 2024. Initially challenging, Saka viewed this period as an opportunity for mental rejuvenation. He stated:

“Mentally, it was really good for me. Obviously, it was tough initially when I found out the extent of my injury and that I was going to have surgery. But once that was done, and it was successful, I was just focused on coming back stronger.”  

This hiatus marked his first significant break in five years, allowing him to engage in activities outside his regular football commitments:

“The past five years I have been playing game after game, and this was the first proper break that I have had and it was really good for me. I got to do a lot of things that I don’t normally do. But it is really nice to be back and I feel fresher mentally, for sure.”  

Saka made a notable return by scoring in Arsenal’s recent victory over Fulham and is preparing for the upcoming Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid. His refreshed mental state and physical recovery are anticipated to significantly bolster Arsenal’s performance in the crucial stages of the season.

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