Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta was back in the hot seat for the press ahead of Arsenals trip to Anfield in the EFL Cup on Thursday night.
Championship side, Nottingham Forest knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup in the third round on Sunday thanks to an 83rd minute tap in from captain, Lewis Grabban.
Arteta said: “Obviously we were all extremely disappointed and upset after the game.
“We analysed what happened, we discussed it, we talked about it and hopefully learned from it.
“After that you have to throw it in the bin, take the lesson and move on because the game we have ahead of us tomorrow is too important.”
In the 1-0 loss to Forest, Nuno Taveres was subbed off by Arteta in the first half an hour, leaving the left-back visibly frustrated as he threw his gloves on the floor.
“I am there to make the right decisions to get the best performance out of the team.
“It is not pleasant to make those decisions it leaves a bad taste but at the same time we are here to help our players and to help our players you have to do it in many different ways”, Arteta reflects.
Arsenal completed their first January transfer-window signing through wonderkid Lino Da Cruz Sousa from West Brom and have also been linked with Lille midfielder, Renato Sanches and Welshman, Aaron Ramsey.
Arteta is confident that Arsenal can still attract “world-class” signings: “The best players in the world are always interested to come here and I can say that situation hasn’t changed.
“Anytime I have spoken to any player, they were so willing to come, I haven’t faced any other situation and that’s one of our biggest powers, our capacity to get the attention of people to come and join our club, it’s something that is a big advantage for us”.
“What I really want this month is that we have as many players as possible fit and healthy and that we do the best and maximum with those players.
“After we have a strategy of how we want to evolve and improve the team, and whenever that is possible we are going to try to do it. We all know that this market is extremely difficult.”
21-year-old Emile Smith-Rowe has been left out of Arsenal’s starting XI despite his superb form for Arsenal and making his debut for England in their 10-0 thrashing of San Marino.
“The reason why that happened is because he wasn’t fit. There was nothing else. His performances, when he’s been fit, have been extraordinary, the way he’s evolving, with the importance that he has in the team, I think it’s without a doubt really, really positive, but he’s had an issue that he’s been carrying and obviously that’s been affecting his ability to train, his ability to compete, the amount of minutes that we can give him and we are trying to get that situation resolved as quickly as possible, because we need the best version of Emile for us to be successful”.
Arsenal are set to travel to Merseyside to take on Liverpool tomorrow night in the EFL Cup who will be without two important starting players; top goal-scorer Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane who are both in Cameroon for the AFCON tournament.
The Gunners are also missing a number of players due to the tournament. On these absentees Arteta said: “I always have hope when I play and when I’m competing for any trophy. They have a couple of players out, we certainly have a lot out as well. It is what it is.
“We’re going to have to go there to try to win the first match because it’s going to put us in a better position for the second one.”
