Arteta wants Arsenal to keep the same form before the 2022 World Cup
"We need to show motivation on the pitch. The whole team has talked a lot about this," Arteta said at the pre-match press conference. "We know how important it is to start strong. This is a very special day in Premier League history. We are playing at home, under a great atmosphere, and want to make the most of it. that".
Before the season was halted for the 2022 World Cup, Arsenal led the English Premier League with a 5 point gap more than defending champion Man City. The "Gunners" lost only one match - a 1-3 defeat at Man Utd, and made an impression when winning against Chelsea, Liverpool or Tottenham.
Arteta was most impressed with the consistency Arsenal's youthful squad showed over the first 14 games, but admits more tough challenges lie ahead. The Spanish coach wants his players to "maintain their form, keep improving, develop both individually and collectively to keep winning". But he also admitted: "With a team and age like Arsenal right now, showing the level and consistency is not easy, although the team has shown real maturity in some moments, especially especially against strong teams."
Meeting West Ham today, Arteta will face his old teacher David Moyes. Arteta played more than 200 games under the Scotsman during his six years at Everton. It was Moyes who signed Arteta from Sociedad in January 2005, at the age of 22. The two teachers and students immediately achieved success, when they joined Everton in the top 4 of the English Premier League season 2004-2005.
Arteta admitted to learning a lot and paid tribute to the Scotland coach when the two teachers and students reunited. "I am very grateful first of all for the trust he has always given me," Arteta said. "I also learned a lot from Moyes on the pitch, off the pitch, about team building, about having the right people on the team to build what you want."
Arteta sees squad rotation as key, with Arsenal playing six games over the next 28 days and having a similarly busy schedule in February. The 42-year-old coach revealed that striker Gabriel Jesus had to take a long-term break after surgery on a knee injury while attending the 2022 World Cup, while midfielder Emile Smith Rowe was getting close to reaching his best, after surgery on an injury. Crotch.
"We are constantly rotating in the early stages. The second half of the season will have very different periods," Arteta analyzed. "There will be times when you have time to practice, and other times when the matches come in. It's important to rotate the team so that the whole team is healthy and in shape."
