Press conference

Arteta on Ramsdale, the win, Tomiyasu and more

Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta was in buoyant mood after seeing his side beat Leicester City 2-0 at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

Afterwards, our manager faced the media to discuss the match - read on for a full transcript:

on whether that performance was one of the best under him…

Some phases probably yes, because of the opponents we had in front of us and because to come here is tough. I am really pleased with the way we played, the character we showed right from the beginning, to be dominant and impose the game we wanted to play. There were moments as well when we had to suffer, they came at us, they changed the formation and they created some issues. You have to dig in and there were some big individual performances to get through those moments, but then we were able to change the game and the momentum again and get control and we could have scored the third one. So I am really pleased.

on Aaron Ramsdale’s impact…

We invest money in talent and people we believe can be great for the future of the club. We made that decision based on that and Aaron has had some really encouraging performances, and today he had some incredible saves to maintain the clean sheet and he needs to continue to do that. In football you have to play 50 games for 20 years, and this is only the start.

on Ramsdale's save from Maddison's free kick...

I have just seen a picture, I haven't seen the video footage but my reaction there when I saw the ball leaving Maddison's foot, I said, 'Goal'. So I don't know how it happened, it was incredible - and the moment and the timing of it  as well was crucial.

on what Ramsdale brings to the dressing room...

I think he has settled in a group that is very welcoming that has young energy and with humble senior players that accommodate you straight away. Then Aaron's character, he's full of energy, he can transmit that energy and that passion and they have great chemistry between them.

on whether it was a statement win...

When you play against a team that is going to be up there, it is great when you are able to beat them. It's another game, we are on a good run and we have to continue to do so because there are still a lot of things we have to improve.

on Tomiyasu's impact on the team...

I am delighted to have him, first of all as a person he is such a great character. He is doing all the right things, top professional and I think he is giving us a lot of composure in the backline, the way he defends and understands the work that we want to do with him. So he's been top. His adaptation to be a defender in this country, the way he's done it, I think he deserves a lot of credit.

on whether Ramsdale can be England's No 1 for the World Cup...

I think when you dream big, it is always positive. Keep your feet in the earth, there are people who make those decisions but he needs to be doing what he's doing every day. Train the way he trains, look after himself the way he does, have that mentality he has, and good performances. The rest will come.

on Kieran Tierney's fitness...

He didn't train with the team yesterday, he's still not feeling good, he's still in pain, and he is not comfortable when he's running. He was struggling so we're trying to help him as much as possible, we need him back and I don't know when that will be.

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