Tag: Mikel Arteta

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RICCARDO CALAFIORI SIGNS FOR ARSENAL

Arsenal have completed the signing of Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna as Emile Smith Rowe appears set to depart the Emirates Stadium.

Calafiori, 22, was highlighted as a priority target for the Gunners this season and they have landed their man for a fee of £42million.

Calafiori has signed a five-year deal at the Emirates having played for Italy during their Euro 2024 campaign.

“We welcome Riccardo and his family to Arsenal. He is a great signing and gives us huge strength to reinforce our defence,” said manager Mikel Arteta.

“Riccardo is a big personality and character, with specific skills which will make us stronger as we push to win major trophies.

“He has already shown great development in recent seasons with his performances for both Bologna and Italy, with his progression and development in the past year being really impressive.

“We’re looking forward to working with Riccardo, integrating him into the squad, and supporting him in the years to come.”

Calafiori, who can also operate at left-back, becomes Arsenal’s second major summer acquisition after David Raya’s loan move from Brentford was made permanent.

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ARTETA NAMED BARCLAYS MANAGER FOR SEPTEMBER

Mikel Arteta has been named the September 2021 Barclays Manager of the Month after guiding Arsenal to an impressive turnaround.

Arteta claims the award for the first time after leading the Gunners to victory in all three matches they played in September, following three straight defeats in August.

The Spaniard side picked up their first win of the season with a 1-0 home success against Norwich City, and a victory at Burnley by the same scoreline followed.

Then Arsenal went 3-0 up in a dazzling first-half display on their way to a 3-1 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby at Emirates Stadium.

“It’s a great feeling, it means we went on a good run and won matches,” Arteta says. “But for me it’s much more than that. It’s about the people involved, the people who work with me and how grateful I am to have them.

“The level of trust, implication and passion that they show working alongside me every day, that gives me the strength and then the belief in the players that they can do it, and that they are good enough to win matches and that we believe in them.”

On the club’s home win against Spurs, he adds: “I said it after the game, it’s the best atmosphere I’ve seen at the Emirates. It was electric, it was real, it was honest and it was a real sense of chemistry between our supporters and the team.

“And it was the perfect day to thank them. A few weeks earlier when we were under adversity and criticism they really stood for the team and it was a way for the team to say, ‘Thank you, you are a big part of our time and we need you, and when you are alongside us look at what we can do.’ “

The 39-year-old topped a five-man shortlist, beating Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Graham Potter and Dean Smith after votes from the public were combined with those of a panel of football experts. He is the first Arsenal manager to claim the award since Arsene Wenger six years ago.

Arteta, who made it four matches unbeaten with a goalless draw at Brighton & Hove Albion, will look to make it five without defeat when his team host Crystal Palace on Monday 18 October.

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Mikel Arteta given five games to save Arsenal job

Mikel Arteta‘s future as Arsenal head coach is set to be decided within the next five games, according to a report.

Despite lifting the FA Cup at the end of the 2019-20 season, the Spaniard has endured a difficult reign at the helm, guiding his side to successive eighth-placed league finishes, with the latter causing the Gunners to miss out on European football for the first time in 25 years.

Arteta has also overseen a disappointing start to the 2020-21 campaign with the North London club, suffering back-to-back 2-0 defeats against Brentford and Chelsea in their opening two Premier League games.

The 39-year-old is now under increased pressure to turn the club’s fortunes around and according to the Daily Telegraph, the Arsenal boss has until the second international break in October to save his job.

Arteta’s next match in the dugout is for the League Cup second round clash at home against West Bromwich Albion tonight, before a trip to Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday.

League encounters against Norwich City and Burnley will then follow in September before they welcome North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the Emirates Stadium later that month.

If Arteta is relieved of his duties, then Arsenal will reportedly consider the appointment of former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who is currently out of work after leaving Inter Milan in May

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MIKEL ARTETA ISSUES APOLOGY TO ARSENAL FANS AFTER OPENING DAY DEFEAT AT BRENTFORD

A despondent Mikel Arteta apologised to Arsenal’s baying fanbase after his side’s 2-0 defeat to Premier League new boys Brentford, saying it wasn’t ‘the result or performance’ he wanted.

The Gunners ended last season on a high with four wins on the bounce but endured a dismal return to top-flight action at a raucous Brentford Community Stadium, with Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard netting in either half to fire the hosts to victory.

The north London outfit appeared blunt in attack in the absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette – who missed the clash through illness – and struggled to make inroads against Brentford’s high press across a frustrating 90 minutes.

Arsenal’s complete inability to deal with Mads Bech Sorensen’s long throw-in for Norgaard’s towering 73rd-minute header in many ways summed up the visitors’ miserable night.

Emile Smith Rowe and Kieran Tierney were two shining lights for the visitors but the Bees held firm to seal a famous and deserved win, 74 years on from their last match in the top division.

Arsenal will have to quickly find their cutting edge, with Chelsea and champions Manchester City next up in the league.

‘First of all, thank you because of the support that they are giving to the team, the travelling fans that were here,’ Arteta told reporters at his post-match press conference.

‘And after that, I apologise for the result and we know that we have to improve.

‘We have two big games coming up right now and we need to a different performance to get a different result.’

The Spaniard added: ‘We are very disappointed to start the way we did in the season.

‘We didn’t get the result or performance that we wanted.’

Arsenal have already invested heavily this summer – spending over £70million on new arrivals Ben White, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares – and there will inevitably be calls for the club to further strengthen after the loss.

But Arteta was keen to stress that he would not be hitting the panic button in the transfer market and will instead be looking to get improvements out of the players he currently has at his disposal.

‘My focus is with the players we have, try to make them play as best as possible and get the best out of the team and find a way to win football matches,’ he went on.

‘We are very clear of what we wanted to do, where our strengths are and where we can improve and I don’t think today’s performance shows anything different to what we’ve already seen.’

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ARSENAL BANISH GUENDOUZI FROM FIRST TEAM TRAINING AFTER ARTETA BUST UP

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has not included Matteo Guendouzi in first-team training since their disagreement in the aftermath of the Brighton defeat over two weeks ago.

The spaniard has dropped Guendouzi for the Gunners’ last four games after the midfielder clashed with Brighton’s Neal Maupay during Arsenal’s loss on June 20.

The Gunners boss last month alluded to “internal issues” which have seen the French midfielder miss those matches; all of which have been won by the north Londoners.

And The Athletic has claimed that Guendouzi has been training alone with a fitness coach after the boss seemingly ran out of patience with his player.

It is claimed that Arteta and technical director Edu were left unimpressed after holding a crisis meeting with the player following the Brighton incident.

Guendouzi had also drawn Arteta’s ire during the mid-season trip to Dubai in February – but returned to the line-up after being given a second chance by his boss.

But it seems Arteta has been left frustrated by Guendouzi’s response to his latest punishment.

The publication also claims that the boss, while aware that the midfielder possesses undoubted talent, is frustrated that the midfielder is yet to apologise.

Arsenal, it has been suggested, have also explored the possibility of using him in a swap deal in the summer transfer window.

Club chiefs are expected to meet with Guendouzi’s representatives in the coming days to discuss the situation.

Last month Arteta declared: “Whatever internal issues we have we will deal with them privately and I am never going to make any of that public.

“All the players that are here, I am counting on them. If they want on the boat, they are more than welcome and that’s always my mindset.”

Arteta has refused to answer questions as to why Guendouzi, after escaping a Football Association ban for grabbing Brighton striker Maupay around the throat, has not even made the bench since.

But, pushed to explain what his “on the boat” comment meant, Arteta explained the situation ahead of the win over Wolves.

He said: “Players that respect the values we want to implement, that they are 100 per cent committed to our culture, and players that are accountable every day for what we demand from them.

“Players that are ready to help each other, fight for each other and enjoy playing together.

“That is what I mean by being on the boat. If you behave like this every day, you are very very welcome here and we want to get the best out of you and help you to enjoy your profession with us.”

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ARTETA DEFENDS HIS HIGH TEMPERED TEAM IN LOSS TO BRIGHTON

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta leapt to his players’ defence after Brighton striker Neal Maupay accused them of arrogance following a bad-tempered clash at the Amex Stadium.

The French striker emerged as the Seagulls’ match-winner, scoring a stoppage time winner to ease their relegation fears after Lewis Dunk equalised Nicolas Pepe’s sumptuous opener.

But the clash – and Maupay in particular – was submerged in controversy after Gunners keeper Bernd Leno was taken off on a stretcher with a serious knee ligament injury following a contentious mid-air collision with the Brighton striker.

Leno was clearly furious with Maupay – who revealed he apologised to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta at half-time – as he was carried off, angrily gesturing towards the Brighton star.

During the game Matteo Guendouzi was caught throwing an arm at Maupay which could leave the Arsenal midfielder facing retrospective action from the FA before the pair angrily clashed again during a mass confrontation between both sets of players after the final whistle.

The ugly scenes could leave both clubs in breach of the Premier League’s Covid-19 safety protocols that prohibit mass gatherings, like the one at full-time.

Maupay said: ‘I think the Arsenal players need to learn humility sometimes

They have been talking a lot in the first half and in the second half when they were 1-0 up – they got what they deserved.

‘I don’t think it (Leno’s reaction) was justified. At half time I went to apologise to Mikel Arteta I never meant to injure their keeper.

‘I just jumped to get the ball and when he landed he tweaked his knee. I apologise to the team and him as well. I never meant to hurt him.’

But in response to Maupay’s comments, Gunners boss Arteta said: ‘He can say whether he wants but I know my players and one aspect they don’t lack is humility.’

Nevertheless, Leno is now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines amid fears he will miss the rest of the season, if not longer, with knee ligament damage.

But Arteta admonished Maupay of any fault, saying: ‘I believe no player has the intention to hurt anybody and I believe exactly the same in this case.

‘It was unfortunate. Yes, Bernd’s injury doesn’t look good, we have to assess it but things can happen on a football pitch. He was in a lot of pain.’

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ARSENAL BOSS MIKEL ARTETA SAYS MESUT OZIL WILL PLAY WHEN HE’S READY TO GIVE HIS BEST.

Mikel Arteta says he will restore Mesut Ozil to the Arsenal team when he thinks the playmaker “can give his best”.

The Gunners boss left Ozil out of his squad for Wednesday’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City due to “tactical” reasons, casting further speculation over the German’s future at the Emirates.

“I’ve been very open with Mesut from day one,” said Arteta.

“I thought he was fit and willing and wanted to perform at the level he can do. I think he has played every game with me.

“The moment I see he is ready to do that again I will treat him like everyone else. I have been more than fair with him and he has responded in many games, the way I want. That’s it.

A lot has happened to him in the last few weeks and I have to respect the timing of every player. Sometimes they need a little bit of time.

“It has been difficult preparation in the last two months to get players ready.

“Again, I am the first one who wants Mesut at his best. I will put him on the pitch when I think he can give his best.”

When asked how Ozil reacted to being omitted, Arteta replied: “He was very well with me. There were no issues at all.

“My conversation with Mesut is going to remain with him and me. It was a clear and honest conversation.”