Mikel Arteta faced the media on Friday ahead of Arsenal’s third Premier League game of the season this weekend. The Gunners will travel to the south coast for a clash against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, looking to extend a perfect winning start to the new campaign.
There have been victories over Crystal Palace and Leicester so far, with only Manchester City able to boast a similar record even at this early stage of proceedings. For Arsenal, it is a far cry from this time last year when three consecutive defeats was the worst start in 67 years.
With City not playing until Sunday, Arsenal could spend Saturday night top of the table.
On this edition of The Chronicles of a Gooner, Harry Symeou looks back on the final two episodes of the Arsenal All or Nothing show & the series on the whole. Was it a success?
Will Fabio Vieira make his debut?
“Everybody is okay. We had Cedric [Soares], Fabio [Vieira] and Emile [Smith Rowe] play with the Under-21s and they look fit. They trained with us all week so they are available for selection.
“Marquinhos has been playing with the Under-21s and we didn’t believe that it was necessary for him to play again. Fabio and Emile – they have been injured, they haven’t had any [first-team] minutes…they needed that exposure.
“With Cedric it was more a case of giving him the option. He wasn’t in the squad last week. He hasn’t played many minutes in pre-season. We have to give the option for them. He said straight away that he wanted to play, and you can see the attitude that he has.”
Could Vieira & Smith Rowe player together?
“We want players that make each other better, and in order to do that, first of all there has to be a chemistry between those players, an understanding and timing and different qualities that they need in order to get what we want to get done.
“We are building that relationship; Fabio has been training with us for a week so he needs to develop that and see where he clicks and where he can make a big impact for the team.
“Fabio’s versatility is something that caught our eye and we believe that he is going to give us a lot of options. It’s about nurturing how they work together and the type of players that Fabio needs around him to exploit his qualities, which we feel in this side could be very powerful, so we will have to wait and see how that develops.”
What challenge will Bournemouth pose?
“It will be a really tough match. I’ve been there many, many times, I know how tough it is, and I know to expect the atmosphere to be hectic. It’s a team that is used to winning because last year they had a really successful season, and they’ve started well this season. I know Scott Parker very, very well and I know they’re going to make it a really difficult game for us.
“I think it’s a good mixture between what Bournemouth used to do and what Scott is as a manager, and I think he has evolved the team in a really positive way. They have a really clear idea of how they want to play, a very clear identity as well and they execute that against any opponent and credit to them for what they’re doing.
“I always admired him as a player, his character, I know him personally as well pretty well and I’m really happy for him. The way he presents himself and the way he wants to play this game – I think is great for the game to have managers who want to play the way that he wants to and I wish him the best of luck…apart from [in this game].”
How has he changed since joining Arsenal?
“I think he has improved a lot of areas in his game because he has more experience, he’s been working on them. For me, what makes the difference with him is his attitude, his willingness and his desire to win every single training session, every single ball in the game. That’s what makes him the player he is.
“Probably the biggest difference since I worked with him before [at Manchester City] is his maturity. Obviously, a few years have gone by, a few experiences, and as you mentioned his language has improved so much. He’s got a different role here…you can sense that straight away. I’m glad that he’s having a good time and performing really well for the team.”
Will he sign a new contract?
“I’m very confident that we as a club, Bukayo and his family and his agent are very much aligned on what we want to achieve. I would like that to get done because I don’t want the player or anybody distracted in the middle of the season.
“But those things take time and have to go through the right process.”
Will form change any plans?
“We are still in the same position. Obviously, the market gives you a lot of information and something that maybe you expect that you could get, you are not getting and the same when it’s ins and outs. But we are focused on the players that we have and getting the best out of them.
“It has to be the right person, and it has to be the right player. We want to only bring top quality through that door, otherwise it’s not worth it.”
Will more players leave?
“What we can communicate, we always do when it’s the right moment. We discussed that we have a big squad, we have made some decisions and we allowed some players [to leave]. Until the window is closed, everything is possible with any player.”
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