Mikel Arteta 'very confident' Arsenal will deliver v. Manchester City | Premier League | NBC Sports

Mikel, happy with the comeback, unhappy with the outcome, what are your thoughts? Obviously unhappy with the result. We made it very difficult again for ourselves, but mistakes are a part of football. And I must say that the way the team reacted, the individual reacted, I love our players more than ever, you know, because you make a mistake, you make another mistake, and then it's complicated when you are really fighting for what we are fighting, to turn that around and change the energy and have the courage to play like we have played. It's incredible, we were on the way back, we conceded again, a very sloppy goal on the set play, and the whole sequence previously is just not good enough. But in the end we should have won the game. We created enough chances, enough opportunities, and it didn't happen, so at the end we are disappointed, for sure. What do you think the problem was tonight? Starting the game like we did, giving the ball away and conceding a goal. Straight away making it really difficult, giving the ball away and conceding another one in one pass. But you can't concede three goals in this league. You can't concede three goals the way we concede them, in a really sloppy way. It's extremely difficult to win matches. We still scored three and probably should have scored five or six, but it wasn't enough to win. Is that when it shows what's at stake, the fact you've got such a young team as well, and also what is at stake in these last games? Yes, but this young team reacts in a way that is incredible. Against the odds, when it's really under pressure and you are against the wall, the way they continue to play, the chances they created, the spirit they have, the way they try. It's just a joy to watch. I feel a lot for them today because especially some individuals are hurting, but the message has been clear, that I love them. What else, apart from supporting them, what else did you say to them in the dressing room after that? It must be difficult. Of course it's difficult because they are down and they are more willing than anybody can imagine to win it. You can see that spirit in that fight and they are really disappointed in the dressing room. But it's clear that we have to do things better, not to concede three goals the way we have done. How strong was your message that we are still in this, we're still fighting, this is still very much in our hands? For sure it is. That hasn't changed. Obviously the task now is even bigger, but the first thing we have to do is click it. We have to click and count the mistakes and do all the simple things and the basic things much better. And after that you will win games again because we deserve to win the games if it's not for those moments. It's obviously a huge game at the Etihad now, an even bigger one for you. But how concerned are you about your form going into the game? Or has it almost become like a final in itself? No, it's not a final because it's still six games to go and still enough points to be played. But obviously the concern is just turning around this moment, especially some players if they are in doubt. And get those doubts away and put the mindset, prepare the game well and win to Manchester to win the game. How hard is that though for you as a coach? Because a lot of those players who have now got those doubts in their mind, they've not been through this before. Yes, but in football you go through moments when you make errors or you are not in a good moment and you have to come away from that. And they reacted throughout the game. It's not that they bottle the game and they say, OK, it's nothing to do with me and they hide. I haven't seen anybody hiding. The opposite, they were really willing to do more and more. No matter where you end up, it's been a fantastic season already with these young players. For it to be an amazing one, do you agree you've got to win next Wednesday now? Yes, I agree. And how confident you are, or are you, that you can lift your players, you can rally, get back to what you were early in the season, go there and win? Very confident because I see again today, today is a good example of the level that they can show, how capable they are to play against a very difficult opponent in a difficult context in a great way. And just chance after chance after chance and the spirit is incredible and we have to try to do it again. Thanks, Mikko. Thank you.