Following the thrilling victory in the 2023 Community Shield, Mikel Arteta stepped into the Wembley Stadium press room to address questions from the gathered journalists.
Expressing delight in the dramatic win, Arteta praised the team’s resilience, particularly Leandro Trossard’s late equalizer and the subsequent penalty shootout success, which secured the club’s 17th triumph in the competition.
Here are his responses from the post-match press conference:
On the importance of the win:
“It feels great. Winning a trophy in Wembley against the best team in the world doesn’t get much better. We had some great moments in the game, but missed chances can lead to difficulties. However, the team showed resilience, and the changes made a difference, allowing us to win with the goal and penalties.”
On Aaron Ramsdale’s statement that Arsenal can beat Man City when it matters:
“I don’t have to agree or disagree. The players believe they can beat any team, and their determination and resilience showed today, deserving the victory.”
On the importance of having something tangible before the season:
“It’s great, that’s what we’re here for – to win trophies for the club and make it successful. The joy of seeing happy and proud people and the connection with our supporters feels different and is fantastic.”
On Kai Havertz’s performance:
“He was superb, pressing intelligently and getting into great positions to score. He was very physical when needed, and I’m pleased with his performance.”
On Aaron Ramsdale’s performance in the penalty shootout:
“He was great, and we practiced penalties a lot in pre-season to be prepared. He was superb, and it was a learning curve from previous disappointments.”
On expectations for the season after winning the Community Shield:
“I don’t know if this result will raise expectations too high. We just wanted to win the trophy quickly, and then we focus on the next. We have to go day-by-day, play better, and win games.”
On the new touchline rules for managers this season:
“I cannot change my behavior in three days. It’s difficult to adapt, but we will do our best to understand and comply with the rules.”
On new regulations about increased added time:
“It’s about effective time, and it’s a good change to prevent time-wasting. Teams will have to be prepared to play longer matches.”
On whether Ramsdale has been feeling pressure due to transfer speculation:
“I hope not. Competition exists here, and players should feel it. We need to get the best out of each player, including me.”