Auba’s goal could be a turning point: Arsenal 1-1 Southampton, Mikel Arteta press conference

Hard but an important result just to get the draw there. Wasn’t it yeah, considering the fight that we played 35 minutes with 10 men and we have to take uh. We have to take the point because we showed some resilience and character to hang in there for so long against a really dangerous team, but at the same time really disappointing, because we came back after considering the goal, we showed how much we wanted.

We created some situation and after half time we corrected a few things. We came back really strong in the game, score a good goal and when we had the best moment uh again, we shoot ourselves in the foot and then obviously makes it really hard.

Yeah. Are you a bit frustrated, i frustrated having to explain red cards that’s. Three in five league games now isn’t it it’s, uh very difficult to compete in this league when you play as well. For such a long period with with 10 men – and we are struggling for the results, it makes it even more complicated, but i think that the boys stand up for it and they showed again um a lot of characters and resilience and they never gave up um And after one hell, i was worried because after these moments and you’re gonna start to see players hiding and they did completely the opposite.

Ober was saying in his interview on the pitch side there that players can lose their call a bit when you need points like you do now and get a bit nervous. Do you think that’s? What happened to gabrielle? Well, i don’t know.

I was really disappointed with the two yellow cards, one on danny and one on gabby, because there were many other incidents in the first half that they didn’t get the yellow cards, and obviously that is going to affect your game and um.

And then, obviously the second one yeah. What was that exactly [ Laughter, ] hi mikhail? I i i, as you said it’s. Only it’s only a draw, but could that result in the manner of the results? Given that you had to you know, you had to show a lot of courage there in the second half.

Could that be i don’t know one of the one of the most important results of your season, one that can one that can galvanize you and something tangible to actually hold on to yeah. I agree yes, because at the end, if you would have lose the game again, that would be again a really difficult one to take um and yeah.

The the players showed what we expect them for them to do, and sometimes with more or less quality, and but at least the work is there. I saw all the players that were they weren’t participating and they will understand shouting and being right behind the team and leaving the game with them, which is a really strong signal as well, and i’m really pleased with that.

As well dan from son hi, michael um, in his post-match interview, um theo walcott, said he could tell that there was a lot of fear in the arsenal team in the in the certainly in the early parts of the game.

Could could you see what he meant as well and what did he say to you in your conversation after the match? I don’t know. I was gonna say that i just spoke with him and he never mentioned that to me uh.

He mentioned other things, but not that i don’t know if he said that’s, it’s uh his feeling, but did you but do you do you feel i mean clearly when your team’s In a bad run, confidence confidence is low.

How you know, what can you do to to to give them that confidence, so they can express themselves just to play with freedom and to enjoy the profession as well and and be accountable. When you go on that piece that you do your best and then there are a lot of things that we cannot control and and try to protect them as much as possible and give them comfort, but uh yeah, you see there are four or five situations in The first time we are around the box, we are inside the sixer box to finish the action.

It should be a goal and it is lacking, but in the second half over scored – and hopefully this unlocks a little bit, because individual is afraid that he needs that moment and then and hopefully things will change like sammy said before charles hi mikhail.

I just wanted to pick up on that. Actually you mentioned it there about all the score in that game. What can that do for his season? The fact he was also open play as well. The first goal for since the game against fulham.

Hopefully he’s, going to change everything dramatically and he’s, going to start to score every game, because this is what we need at the moment. We need the points in order to do that. We need to score many more goals and uh and be more efficient when we have the chances, so i think he was gonna make him um really good.

You saw the reaction when he scored it. I mean have you seen a change in him already in the changing room, with just that weight coming off his shoulders after a goal like that, i don’t have to to to see i’m sure that is going to take A lot of pressure of him and and is going to release him as well.

Thank you. Thank you thanks. Everyone. Thank you.