Arteta: Arsenal Aiming to Dominate Every Aspect of Football
December 6 – Arsenal’s remarkable set-piece prowess has earned them the title of “corner kings,” but manager Mikel Arteta has a bigger goal in mind: to dominate every aspect of the game.
The Gunners have scored 22 goals from corners so far in the 2023-24 season, the most in Europe’s top five leagues. They continued this success on Wednesday with goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba, leading to a 2-0 win over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta, speaking ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Fulham, emphasized that Arsenal’s ambition is to be the best in every facet of football: “We want to be the kings of everything — set-pieces, high pressing, attacking in open spaces — the best in the world,” said the Spaniard.
“We want the best atmosphere, the best academy, the best individual development for players. We want to be the best at everything, recruiting the best players, the best coaches. That’s the aim,” Arteta continued.
Arsenal, who are currently third in the Premier League with 28 points, face a tough challenge from Fulham, sitting sixth with 22 points. Arteta acknowledged the difficulty of playing at Fulham, recalling last year’s losses to them: “It’s always a really tough place to go.”
Regarding injury updates, Arteta was tight-lipped about the availability of defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori, both of whom missed the United game. “It’s match day minus two, so we have to modify a few players. We’ll see how everyone is after tomorrow’s session,” he said.
Arteta also expressed his happiness for former Arsenal players now at Fulham, including Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi, and Reiss Nelson. “It will be great to see them,” Arteta added. “Once they leave, you have to leave them to do their own thing. I’m grateful for what they did for us and wish them the best.”
