Arteta fires up Arsenal's big showdown with West Ham while chasing a 300-game milestone

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's coach, spoke about readiness to host West Ham tomorrow, Saturday at the Emirates, in the seventh round of the Premier League.

And at the press conference, Arteta spoke about injuries: 'Looking at Gabriel, we must wait to see after training. We did nothing today. I'm not too worried about him, while Henkapi will be available after international break. We'll do everything as fast as we can, but this match comes soon for him, while Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Noni Madueke remain out of the squad.'

And regarding whether Saka's minutes need managing, and whether I spoke with Thomas Tuchel about it: 'Not yet, we always talk, me and Thomas, we always give feedback on players' status, so far it's gone smoothly.'

And facing West Ham: 'It's a key match. We learned in recent seasons we’ve lost to them here, so we must fix that. Tomorrow is our chance; the opponent is organized under a new coach, and we know it will be a tough test.' For us.

That's a lot; we keep going, and we'll do the same on Saturday, maintaining the feeling of what we do well. The aim is to win on Saturday. When I started, I had no idea how long or with whom I would work, and I say thank you and more on the way.

I imagined Bukayo playing left-back; that's what I saw in his first game against Bournemouth, so he's come a long way on the pitch, a long way in his journey, and the person he's become and the role he plays in the team—it's a real joy to watch him every day. Right now.

And regarding how we arrived at 300 Arsenal matches: 'I feel tremendous privilege, and I enjoy the work with the people I collaborate with. Football is about winning games; that’s how you keep your job. Looking at squad rotation, it has been exceptional, but you must thank everyone in this job—some stayed for six months, others for six years. All were valuable, all mattered greatly, given the points we earned and the win rate discussed. Other coaches have won trophies too; sometimes you must praise someone else who was better than you. I was excellent, but someone else was exceptional.'

And on Graham Potter's departure from West Ham: 'A small word to Potter; he is an exceptional coach, who has achieved a lot across his career. As a person, those who worked with him valued their time together. It’s sad to see him go, especially with social-media noise. If we want the best league in the world, we must improve this area and look after the key people in our sport. That means more respect, better conditions, and fewer keyboards online.'

And Arteta praised the chemistry between Gior and Ødegaard: 'We haven't seen enough; Martin has been unavailable at times, but they share something. With more time on the pitch and understanding, it should flourish sooner, hopefully together.'

And Arteta said: 'Players want to stay with us, and we want to secure a long future with them. Timber is a prime example of a player who has faced severe setbacks, returned strongly, and proven essential to the squad.'

And he commented on whether Timber is appreciated enough in the Premier League: 'I don't know because I rate him highly, but I hope fans value him more; when you talk about a defender, he has traits you want.' And he proves it daily.