Arteta: White and Timber are recovering well; Ballon d'Or? It is not my decision

In the early hours of September 13 Beijing time, Arteta will lead Arsenal against Sunderland. Before the match, Arteta attended a press conference, and the following is the first half of the conference.

Were all the medical checks this week clear? Are there any issues?

No, everything is normal.

Was Ben White limping a little when he came off last time?

He is fine. He is in very good shape, very good.

Is there any update on Mosquera's situation?

He has recovered very well. We will see whether he can return in this match or the next one. I think that is roughly the timeframe.

Tell us about Timber. Was the trip to Naples smooth? How long will it take before he can get playing time?

We need to see. We still have one more training session. His condition has improved very well. He has been training with the team for several days and looks in very good shape.

To list all of Arsenal's Ballon d'Or-related nominations, I would need a very long list: the club itself is nominated for a team award, you are nominated for best coach, David (Raya) is among the Premier League best goalkeeper candidates, and three players from the squad are on the Ballon d'Or shortlist. What does this show about the work of everyone at Arsenal?

It reflects the club's current development and shows that we are operating very well. Obviously, the team has shown consistency in matches, and these individual honors are the result of excellent teamwork. It is great to see these nominations, but more importantly we need to turn this strong performance into important trophies.

Do you think you have a chance to win the best coach award?

That is not decided by me, but being nominated itself is an honor, without a doubt.

Declan Rice clearly hopes his teammates can win, including his England teammates. He mentioned Harry Kane. Do you think Kane should win this time?

I do not have voting rights, so I will leave that question to the professional voters.

Let's talk about the excellent players in our squad. The England squad will only be announced in a week, but this time we could have seven players selected. What does this show about Arsenal's squad strength?

Let's first see Tuchel's final decision, and then we can discuss it. I am very happy with the players in the team. The squad has variety and balance, and especially the team we have successfully built has players with distinct personalities and different strengths. What we need to do is maximize these advantages.

It seems it has been a long time since a team had seven players selected for England. For a club like Arsenal, how important is it to have a group of homegrown internationals?

It is extremely important. This is not only about the players, but also about the coaching staff and the whole club. It makes our cultural foundation clearer and helps everyone identify more deeply with the club's identity and values.

Everyone has been talking about Odegaard's excellent form this season, and he seems to have developed an understanding with Tzolis — three of Tzolis' four assists this season have been for Odegaard. Have they already formed this kind of intuitive partnership?

I hope so. We have always worked to develop good understanding between all players. Their connection is indeed a good start, and we will see how far it can develop in the future. For now, it is a very positive sign.

Now it is time for the supercomputer predictions.

I knew this part was coming.

In the Champions League, your title probability has risen from being 1.5% higher than Bayern Munich to now leading by 5%, making you the favorite. More notable is the Premier League, where your title probability has reached 53.71%, with Manchester City second at 27.63%, creating a very large gap.

I only care about the probability of winning tomorrow night's match. That is the most important thing. We need to increase our chances of winning as much as possible, and to do that we must give everything on the pitch and beat this strong opponent. We all understand that.

But there is one reminder: you still have a 0.05% chance of relegation.

We can never lose focus.

Back to Odegaard. You previously mentioned that he changes the height, angle and position of his runs to help the team progress the ball, which is also why his form has improved. Can this kind of football intelligence be taught by coaches, or does it rely more on players making their own decisions?

It is both. First, coaches need to give the team clear tactical intentions, player roles, tactical concepts and principles of play, so players know how to execute effectively. But if the timing is wrong, or the rotation and movement rhythm are not right, it cannot work. These are things we need to repeatedly communicate clearly with the players.

Everyone has clearly been discussing the fluidity of your attack. Declan Rice uses space on the right, and Skelly moves from the left into central areas. These have greatly helped the team's attacking progression. How much does this enrich your attacking options? And how effective can this approach be against Sunderland?

It depends on our players, and of course it depends on the opponent's performance and the attitude they take, especially during different phases of the match. Based on that, we will try to maximize the players' abilities, make the attack progress vertically and move forward as much as possible, and put our best players in the most favorable attacking positions as often as possible.

At the end of last season, you said, 'When the team is going through difficult moments, I think rather than talking too much, it is better to observe, look around and see how people behave in that atmosphere.' I know the season has only just started, but the team is currently very stable, playing attractive football and winning matches. When the team is winning and everything is going well, what qualities do you look for in players?

For example, how they recover the next day, how they interact with each other, their mentality, how they train the following morning, and their focus in meetings. When you look at each other, when you look into each other's eyes, how long they can maintain their attention, how much they talk about the next match, and what lessons they need to learn from the previous one. There is a lot to observe in these areas.

Regarding Kai Havertz, I think many people find it difficult to accurately say what his best position is. So the first part of the question is: how do you view his best position? How do you determine it? Please explain to me, and to everyone, how important he is to your team.

The best position depends on the needs of the match day and the needs of the team. It is about being as effective as possible and as unpredictable as possible. Kai is very intelligent, and that is his biggest strength. He understands the game deeply, is always five to ten seconds ahead of the flow of the match, knows what he needs to do and acts without overthinking. He also makes the teammates around him better, which is another huge advantage. Beyond that, he scores goals, creates chances, and as everyone knows, his running ability is exceptional. He is currently in excellent form.

So, literally speaking, could his best position in the team change from match to match?

Yes, it can. You can play him as a striker, but how should he play as a striker? What is his role with and without the ball? So there are many aspects involved. When marking positions on the tactical board, you may put the number nine in the center. But how should you handle set pieces, transitions, intense pressing, and whether the goalkeeper's stronger foot is left or right? Many factors can change that space and the initial position.