Every word Mikel Arteta has said about Smith Rowe’s fitness, Sokratis reunion and revenge on Olympiacos

Is there a feeling of revenge in this draw against Olympiacos?

And of course, it was really hard to swallow. The way it turned out at the end was really cruel after everything we did in both games to lose him like we did and with the last chance Auba had. But we continued. Obviously, we have a certain feeling towards this team and we want to fix it.

Are you a stronger and more resilient team than last year?

I think we are a better team than last year. Looking at the way we played and the way we play now, we’ve come a long way. They also have different players but a very similar structure to last year.

They are doing very well, they played in the Champions League, they were eliminated from the Champions League. They also played against City two very good games so it will be a really tough opponent.

Do you choose your side for Olympiacos with your eye on the North London Derby?

We have a huge week with the next four games we have in a short period. We have to manage the team. But obviously the main game is tomorrow and we have to focus on that because tomorrow’s game is going to help us for the weekend, it will help us for next week. So we have to focus on tomorrow.

Is success in the Europa League your best path to return to European competition with your place in the league?

There is a lot to do in both competitions. We have to go very far to achieve anything directly in the Europa League with the number of games to be won. It’s the same in the Premier League.

The points we have lost in the three away games against Wolves, Aston Villa and Burnley sums up our season a bit. We should have gotten a lot more out of these games and we would be in a different position.

But the reality is that at the end of the day we don’t have a way to win and we have to find a way to win and be consistent all three days when you produce these performances. This is the greatest room for improvement.

Despite Saturday’s goal, are you still encouraging your team to play from behind?

I always will as long as we follow our principles all the time and the rules that we have. It’s the way we play, when we decide when to play, when not to play, the kind of football we need to play with the right distances, the right feet. Otherwise, we don’t play.

Without the right structure, you don’t play. It’s too risky. This is what you gain from the risks that exist, and the rewards must be far greater than the risks. When it doesn’t, you don’t have to play. If it’s a no-read zone, you don’t have to play.

How do you feel about playing Olympiacos a year later after playing it last time?

Well obviously we have both games to watch and everything that happened in those two games. The disappointment we had to digest, and it took a while because it was difficult. We had a lot of faith and enthusiasm in the competition, and we were eliminated.

And now we have another opportunity. That’s the beauty of this game. It’s a completely different context but the reality is the same that we have to beat them twice to get through the competition and we have to be better than them.

You were big favorites last year and you are big favorites again this time around

This is what is linked to our football club, but it is true that we cannot underestimate who they are, where they come from. They have just played in the Champions League. It’s a team that is used to playing in all of these competitions and they beat us last year. It doesn’t matter which way but they did it last year so we have to be better than last year to beat them now.

How hard will it be to qualify for Europe next season?

I don’t want to think of it that way at all. I am always very positive. I think there is still a lot to play and what we need is four or five wins in a row. If we do, things will be very different in two or three weeks.

If we don’t, obviously we don’t stand a chance, because when we have had the opportunity to do it, we haven’t done it regularly enough, so it’s all up to us. I want to think that there is still a lot to play and that we have to be in that state of mind because otherwise it is impossible to achieve anything.

Sean Dyche was not happy with AlexLacazettescreaming when he fell under a challenge. Are you encouraging your players now not to scream so loud?

I don’t comment on what other players are doing. I comment on what our players are doing and focus on us. Likewise, I don’t comment on other managers or other players or how they use their strength to weaken an opponent. I’m not talking about it.

Can you give us a fitness update on Emile Smith Rowe?

He’s going to have a full session today to see if he can be involved for tomorrow’s game. After training we will know exactly where we are with him.

Was last year’s loss one of your lowest moments as an Arsenal manager?

Emotionally it really drained us because it was a roller coaster during the game and with what happened it could have ended beautifully, but it ended very hard for we. I think emotionally it took a while for the team and some people to come up because it really hurt.

Have you ever known a team to shoot themselves in the foot so much Arsenalseasonand how do you stop it?

It’s very difficult because there are a lot of unexpected situations in a football game, but then emotionally we have to be a lot calmer and a lot safer.

We have to handle games a lot better in certain situations and that comes with maturity and that comes with learning, so next time you do that hopefully you learn and it doesn’t happen to the same player again, but then something happens to a different.

What’s good is that I think it’s under our control and it’s not something the opponents do and we can’t control it. So I think it’s easier to fix, but we have to fix it really quickly because otherwise the margins are so small and you’re about to lose points all the time.

Are you anxious to see Sokratis, but are you also worried that he will know your secrets?

I can’t wait to see Daddy, he’s such a great character and a very popular player here. He was loved and loved by everyone. It was a pleasure to work with him, such a pro. It is true that he knows what we are trying to do, but there is no magic formula. I’m sure he’ll try to do his best and we’ll do the same.

Can you give us your rating on Martin Odegaard so far?

I’m really happy with him. I think he settled down really, very quickly in the squad and with what we ask of the players. His demeanor, attitude and pace of work has been phenomenal. He’s had better times than others during games to give us the special qualities he has, but overall I’m really happy with him.

Will this be the week that determines whether Arsenal’s season is a success or a failure?

We talk about it every week. Obviously it’s a huge week for us, we have four very important games to come and we have to win them all. This is our reality and this is how we will approach it.

Is this week the opportunity for them to prove that their detractors are wrong?

I think players need to focus on performing as well as possible and trying to do their best on the pitch. This criticism with where it came from and with what intentions is something they shouldn’t pay attention to because they can’t control.

The better we do individually and the better we do collectively, things are going to work better and that is the responsibility they have all the time when they jump on this pitch.

Last year you had success with the FA Cup but also nights like the defeat at Olympiacos. What accompanies you the most?

Both because you learn a lot from defeats and what wins and trophies obviously bring is joy, excitement and smiles to everyone involved in the football club.

This is why we are sitting here, just to make things better and to make people happy and when you do that the satisfaction is really great.

On the other side, when you fail and lose and make people sad, obviously, inside and out, it really hurts.