Mikel Arteta: No Complacency Against Struggling Wolves

Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta warns against taking Wolves lightly

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta warns his team against complacency against Wolves, despite their struggles.

“In any Premier League match and especially against a team that is fighting for results...”

Mikel Arteta is viewing the upcoming Wolves game as a massive opportunity for Arsenal to bounce back from their recent stumble, including the defeat to Aston Villa. The Gunners are looking to get back to winning ways, especially after their impressive Champions League win at Club Brugge midweek.

Mikel Arteta has also provided injury updates, and it's a mixed bag. Declan Rice, who missed the Brugge game due to illness, is hopeful to feature against Wolves. William Saliba is also inching closer to a return, but Jurrien Timber and Leandro Trossard remain doubts. Gabriel Jesus, who made a promising return against Brugge, is expected to be fit for the game.

The match against Wolves presents an ideal chance for Arsenal to regain momentum, given Wolves' current struggles at the bottom of the table.

“With any defeat, you want to put it right straight away and we did that to put ourselves in a great position in the Champions League,” he said.

“Now it's about Wolves, focusing back on the Premier League. After what happened and the result against Aston Villa, it's a massive opportunity for us to win and put ourselves in a good position.”

Gyokeres' Adaptation

Arteta says Gyokeres is adjusting well to Arsenal's system, and it's been a learning curve for both the player and the team. He's bringing a different type of energy and physicality to the game, and Arteta's happy with his progress. As for tinkering with tactics, Arteta says they're always looking to improve and make adjustments, but they're not changing things for the sake of it. They're focused on getting the best out of Gyokeres and the team.

“I think the two things have to merge. I think we have to put the player in the best possible condition to explode and fulfil his potential. And there are certain things that within the role, in the manner that we play, has to be fulfilled.

“And that's a combination of both. And then it's not only that. I think more important is the connections and the players around him at the end.

“Those interactions, that understanding, how it develops. And before the injury, I think he was in a great place. I think it took him a while at the beginning because, as you said, it's a different league, different demands.

“He had no pre-season. And now he's starting to get, again, some momentum. And the goals will come, and we're going to be very pleased with him.”

Injury Update

Arteta says William Saliba's current injury issue is linked to previous problems, and they're taking it slow to ensure he's fully fit. Saliba's been doing really well in training, though, and is getting closer to returning to action.

“Yeah, it was something quite small. It came from an ankle injury that he had, and then he started to modify the way he was running and all that, and he started to overload an area, which is something common.

“But at some point, it became uncomfortable to continue training and playing, and we had to stop.

“And he looks better, but we have to wait and see if he's enough for him to be able to train with the team.”

Mikel Arteta was taken aback when asked if Gabriel Jesus's return to fitness means Arsenal will consider selling him in January. Arteta firmly ruled out any January exit, saying, “I don’t consider that, especially with the situation we have right now. I think Gabby has a lot to offer to the team - and he has proven that straight away, in the first minutes that he was available to play.”

He replied: “No, I don't consider that, especially with the situation we have right now. He showed straight away, he has put so much into this position, and the focus is to be with us.”

On the limited appearances of Ethan Nwaneri, Arteta added: “His attitude has been excellent and when he has the chance to play, prove that I'm wrong and he deserves more minutes.”

Mikel Arteta has praised Martin Zubimendi's impact on Arsenal, saying he's brought huge quality and football intelligence to the team. Zubimendi's adapted seamlessly to the Premier League, freeing Declan Rice to push forward and elevating the performance of those around him.

Arteta's thrilled with Zubimendi's progress, and it's clear why - the Spaniard's slotted perfectly into Arsenal's system, showcasing his exceptional passing range and defensive prowess. He's been instrumental in Arsenal's strong start to the season, and fans are loving his contributions.

“Very impressed because I know the difficulty of coming into this league. You have to earn the role.

“The variety of actions and involvements that he has in the game is exceptional. His defending metrics are exceptional.

“Attacking-wise as well, the position he takes, the way he opens up teams, he has improved on set-pieces as well. He is a player who is never going to be satisfied but that is what makes him so good.”

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No Complacency Expected

Arteta's warning to his team - there's no taking Wolves lightly, despite their struggles. “Every game is up for grabs in the Premier League,” he says, emphasizing the need for focus and intensity from the start.

He said, “In any Premier League match and especially against a team that is fighting for results. I know the manager well and how he will push his players. We know what we have to do.

“In the end, you are going to have to get over 90 points to win it (the title), that means winning a lot of football matches.”

On how to fight against complacency, he continued: “By showing them the team that they are, understand that a team in that position has to react and show their teeth. That's a dangerous thing in this league, and when a team has the quality they have. So it's (being complacent) not going to happen.”

Arsenal's current form has them sitting seventh in the table over the past five games. They're looking to get back on track against Wolves and climb back up the standings.

Arteta, however, stated: “Hopefully tomorrow we will win, and then in the last one, two or three we will have been the best team (in the form table).

“We try to win every game, that's the only thing we can do in terms of being as consistent as possible.”

Mikel Arteta doesn't feel it's his place to judge whether Arsenal deserve more credit for their performance this season. He knows they're aware of their strengths - strong defense and potent attack - but they're focused on taking things one game at a time.

With the way things are going, Arsenal's in a good spot, sitting two points ahead of Manchester City in second place. Their defense is top-notch, and they're scoring plenty of goals. Arteta's keeping things grounded, though, knowing one slip-up can change everything in the Premier League.

“We are in a very strong position in the three competitions we are involved with so far. We have to continue to do that.

“The credit comes at the end of the season when we measure what we've done. To achieve that, you have to achieve every day the objectives you want. At the moment, we are in a strong position.”